


Years in the Making

by bigwolfpup



Series: Thousand Power Universe [2]
Category: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Anal Sex, Established Relationship, Fluff, Multi, Smut, ouroboros
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-10
Updated: 2015-10-10
Packaged: 2018-04-25 17:47:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 23,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4970473
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bigwolfpup/pseuds/bigwolfpup
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Six years after Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks Jr start working as partners, they decide it's time for them to retire. They leave behind a very promising new hero. But when they return to Stern Bild after being in Rio for five years, they find things are worse than when they left, and unfortunately they meet two old enemies that threaten to take the whole city under the control of Ouroboros.</p><p>ON PERMANENT HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Memories of Retirement Part 1: Bringing it Up...

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is not yet finished. More chapters will be posted when the entire fic is finished.

Years in the Making  
A Tiger and Bunny Fanfiction  
Sequel to The Thousand Power

Chapter 1: Memories of Retirement  
Part 1: Bringing it Up...

Special, public ceremonies were almost never held unless something big was happening, such as a new hero joining the second league, a new sponsor being given out, or an old hero retiring from duty. Those types of ceremonies always left heroes nervous and jittery. The notice to a ceremony for Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks Jr. certainly left the heroes in a tail spin. Neither Tiger nor Barnaby knew the reason of the ceremony. Neither of them were leaving their duties as heroes, but they had been working together for five years. In those five years, Barnaby had earned the title of King of Heroes three times, and Wild Tiger had earned the title alongside Barnaby for the last two times. It made them the only heroes to ever tie in points for the title, and it made Wild Tiger the hero with the most amount of seasons with the title in a career, his total rising to seven.

  
Speaking of heroes leaving, Kotetsu was reminded that his friend, Rock Bison, had left the hero duty just last season due to health issues. It only served to remind Kotetsu that Antonio was only a few months younger than him, and he was already having health issues. To be completely honest with himself, it scared Kotetsu just a bit, to know that what happened to Antonio could have very easily happened to him. However, Kotetsu had been in much better shape than Antonio had been, the older brunette being built quite well for his age, and not to mention very healthy as well. It was this factor that made Kotetsu feel a bit guilty when Rock Bison had to retire because of his health.

  
The ceremony planned for the hero team was on a more positive note than expected. Tiger and Barnaby were being offered sponsorships with new companies, and receiving new sponsors was always a fun and exciting experience. Kotetsu remembered a time when he had only one sponsor, and it was his own company that he represented. He stayed that way for well over 10 years. Then Barnaby came along, ran off Kotetsu's only sponsor, and provided him with two new sponsors, SoftBank and S.H.Figuarts. Later came another sponsor, Lotte. But all his sponsors had been lost after retiring from duty for a few months. When he returned back to duty, alongside Barnaby, a new suit was needed to display new sponsors. He had returned with three sponsors, Mountain Dew Baja Blast (which he constantly made commercials for), Sony, and Yamaha Motors.

  
Barnaby had also lost his sponsors after "retiring" from duty, but he also gained three new sponsors who were eager to advertise. They were Coca-Cola (which he also made many commercials for), Target, and Bandai, which had returned as a smaller sponsor for the hero. Coca-Cola had beaten the previous sponsor to the hero, so Bandai was not the main focus of the blonde's sponsorships anymore.

  
The new sponsors for the heroes were companies known around the world, like most of their current sponsors. Kotetsu and Barnaby did not know who their sponsors were yet, but each hero would get his own sponsor at the ceremony. It was a thrilling event, and it was not very often that a hero would gain four sponsors. Most stayed at the max of three, as it was an awful lot to deal with all the products and conditions that came with the sponsors. Kotetsu and Barnaby had enough Coke and Baja Blast to last them for at least another year until they were given more.

  
The night of the special ceremony had arrived quicker than anticipated. It occurred midway through the season, which made for weird advertising for the heroes. The pre-ceremony party was in full swing, starting with a red carpet premiere for all the heroes, including the second league heroes. There was a debut of a new hero for the second league at the reception, and the hero belonged to Apollon Media. He was meant to take Miss Violet's place, who had tragically and heroically died during the Ouroboros incident with Travis two years previous.

  
This new, young hero's name was Northern Light. His NEXT power was something never seen in Stern Bild, as he was imported from North Alaska. Since it was dark for a part of the year 24/7 in Alaska, the boy had developed a power that illuminated the dark, cold skies. He was scared of the dark as a young boy, and his power developed when he was only two years old. Since that time, the boy had grown to a dashing teenager of 14 years, still quite young as a hero. His true identity was Gabriel Hayes.

  
As the pre-ceremony party wound down, Kotetsu and Barnaby had the opportunity to meet Northern Light. Though their meeting was short, they were able to discuss the cool suit the young hero would soon be getting. The two older heroes enjoyed talking to their second league counterpart, and they expressed their support and confidence in the young hero.

  
Moving inside to an auditorium, Kotetsu and Barnaby made their way to their seats. The were situated towards the center of the huge room, most likely to gain plenty of attention when they were called on to the stage. It was just expected to happen, and the heroes really did not mind after five years of publicity. Sometimes, though, it was a bit much, and they had to ask to be pulled out of interviews and talk shows just so they could rest. Whenever that had to happen, it was certain one or both of the heroes was not happy.

  
There was plenty of time to kill before the actual ceremony started, so the two heroes chatted about Northern Light.

  
"So, what do you think of the new kid," Kotetsu asked. "He seems to have a lot of potential."

  
Barnaby nodded. "He's got work to do, but I definitely think he has what it takes to be a first league hero."

  
"I noticed he doesn't have a sponsor yet."

  
"Well, he did just debut today."

  
"I know. And I guess you debuted without a sponsor as well. But, usually second leagues start with a small sponsor."

  
"I did hear a rumor that there's going to be an extra sponsorship given tonight."

  
Kotetsu smiled. "Maybe it'll be for Northern Light."

  
"I hope so," Barnaby said, grabbing Kotetsu's hand and holding it lightly. "It'd make an awesome debut for him."

  
Kotetsu squeezed Barnaby's hand slightly. "Wouldn't it?"

  
They sat quietly for a bit, saying hello to those who passed casually. Their fingers remained interlocked as they sat. The relationship between the two had not gone fully public yet, but things were still being suspected about them. They did not mind the rumors, because most of them were true. But, really, they simply wanted to be seen for who they were without the hassle of coming out to the public. It was best for the public to find out on its own.

  
Finally, everyone was seated in the auditorium, awaiting the spotlights to go on and focus on the center of the stage, where the announcer for Hero TV, Mario, would begin the night. Mario did come out eventually, the crowd roaring to life once he did. It was lively inside that auditorium, and the energy was felt by all heroes who attended. Even Antonio had attended the ceremony.

  
"Welcome, everyone!" Mario stood proudly in the center of the stage with his arms out wide. "Thank you for coming tonight to this very special sponsorship ceremony. It is always exciting when heroes gain new sponsors. But the two we are recognizing tonight have gone over the bar and have pushed the limits of the hero world to the extreme! Let's give a big round of applause for Apollon Media's hero tag team, Tiger and Barnaby!"

  
Applause and shouts filled the room for a good minute before calming down. When the room was under control again, Mario continued to speak.  
"Here tonight are the CEO's of the two companies giving sponsorships tonight. They are Mr. Niccol and Mr. Baden!"

  
The two CEO's came on to the stage as applause filled the room this time. They approached the microphone, and each one proceeded to give a short speech.

  
"Good evening, everyone. I'm Colin Baden, and I'm the CEO of Oakley Incorporated. To start, I want to express my thanks towards all heroes here tonight. Every single one of them deserve to receive the honor of a new sponsor tonight. I'm very pleased to be here tonight, and my best wishes go to Tiger and Barnaby as they continue their work here in Stern Bild."

  
The crowd applauded and waited for the next speech.

  
"Hello, my name is Brian Niccol, and I am the CEO of the restaurant chain, Taco Bell. I would also like to thank all the heroes. It takes a lot to go through what they do. I hope that tonight will be a special night for not just Tiger and Barnaby, but for their friends and families as well."

  
Barnaby's grip on Kotetsu's hand tightened a bit, to which Kotetsu patted the blonde's hand and rubbed it gently.

  
"I wish only good luck upon these two. Thank you."

  
Mario moved back to the microphone and smiled wide. "At this time, we would like for Tiger and Barnaby to make their way to the stage. While they make their way up here, I'd like to personally thank all the sponsors who have supported Stern Bild's heroes for many years, and I want to thank the sponsors of PepsiCo and Coca-Cola, who have hosted tonight's event."

  
Slowly, the two heroes made their way to the stage. They were all smiles as the walked, and why wouldn't they be? It was a special night for both of them. Getting new sponsors was always a big deal.

  
Kotetsu and Barnaby moved to the center of the stage and waited patiently for new instructions. Both were standing with their hands behind their backs, and their gleaming smiles could be seen from even the furthest seats in the auditorium.

  
"Tiger and Barnaby have been partners for five years now. I'm sure to them, it doesn't feel likes it's been that long yet, but it sure has been an amazing five years. Now, they stand before you all as the first hero team to receive a fourth sponsor together. It's quite an accomplishment for a hero to gain three sponsors, but four is almost unheard of! It has happened only once before, and that only goes to prove just how special it is that these two are each receiving their fourth sponsor tonight."

  
Mario stepped to the side a bit and gestured toward the heroes, resulting in an explosive applause from the crowd.

  
Kotetsu and Barnaby gaped at the praise and support. It blew them away just how much they were loved, and it made them incredibly happy.

  
"So, now that you are both up here, it's time to present you with your sponsorship contracts. Mr. Niccol, if you would please come up."

  
Niccol walked up to the microphone and turned to the heroes. "Wild Tiger, if you would please step forward."

  
Kotetsu let his hands fall to his sides, and he did as he was asked, shoving his hands in his pockets. He looked towards Niccol.

  
"Wild Tiger, your current sponsors are Mountain Dew Baja Blast, Sony, and Yamaha Motors. Tonight you will gain a new sponsor. In partnership with Mountain Dew, Taco Bell would be privileged to be your fourth sponsor as you continue your work as a hero. Do you accept this sponsorship?"

  
The brunette stepped towards the microphone. "I do accept Taco Bell, in partnership with Mountain Dew, to be my fourth sponsor as I continue to be a hero."

  
The crowd roared, and Kotetsu shook Niccol's hand. The CEO pulled out the contract and offered a pen to Kotetsu, who took it and signed his name on the contract.  
Niccol moved off the stage as Kotetsu resumed his position next to Barnaby. Colin Baden moved on to the stage and took his place at the microphone. He cleared his throat before speaking.

  
"Barnaby Brooks Junior, please step forward."

  
The blonde did as he was told and put a hand on his hip, the other falling to his side gently.

  
"Barnaby Brooks Junior, your current sponsors are Coca-Cola, Bandai, and Target. Tonight, you too will receive a new sponsor. Oakley would be privileged to be your fourth sponsor as you continue your work as a hero. Do you accept this sponsorship?"

  
Barnaby stepped toward the microphone. "I do accept Oakley to be my fourth sponsor as I continue to be a hero." He signed his contract with another roar from the crowd. The blonde then gave the pen back to Baden and returned to his spot beside Kotetsu. Together, the two heroes stepped forward and waved to the crowd. More applauding was to be had as Mario made his way back to the microphone.

  
"Congratulations you two! Now, we have a special, extra sponsorship being signed into play tonight. This will be a first in the small history of the second league heroes, but we are very excited to be starting this! We have a new hero to introduce to you all, and what better way to bring him out than to have him sign a sponsorship!"

  
Kotetsu and Barnaby stepped back and let Mr. Lloyds pass them, as he was the one to introduce the new hero. Another man passed as well. He was the CEO of the extra sponsor, and he looked like he meant business. He made Kotetsu slightly nervous.

  
"Here to introduce this new hero is Mr. Lloyds, the owner and CEO of Apollon Media."

  
The microphone was turned over the the older man, and he spoke with great confidence. "As the CEO of Apollon Media, I am pleased to introduce the CEO of CH2M, Jack Hinman. CH2M is an oilfield company that owns land in the United States, specifically the state of Alaska, which is where this new hero is originally from."

  
Hinman simply waved, and Lloyds continued talking. "This new hero, a bright young boy of 14 years, has already shown to be promising. Apollon Media is excited to have him start duty. I'd like now for Tiger and Barnaby to step forward-"

  
The two did so.

  
"-and welcome our new hero!"

  
The crowd roared as Gabriel Hayes stepped out into the bright stage lights. His smile radiated joy and excitement, and that was what made the two older heroes like him almost instantly. He was a contagious boy. His smile, his laugh, his glittering green eyes, everything about him was contagious, and that was a great thing in Barnaby's eyes.

  
Gabriel had on a mask to conceal his identity. It was a simple mask, but it covered most of his face, leaving only his forehead, nose, jaw, and mouth visible. Kotetsu took note of that as he shook the boy's hand with a smile. He admired the young hero's multicolored bangs. It reminded him of the lights you could see in the night sky in the northern part of the globe.

  
"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce to you the newest hero, Northern Light!"

  
The boy laughed and waved, then he struck a pose, putting his hands on his hips and tilting his head with a wide smile.

  
"Northern Light's NEXT power truly is extraordinary, and he'll get a chance to show it off after he signs this contract with CH2M. Mr. Hinman, if you would do the honors."

  
Hinman stepped forward and looked at Northern Light as he took the microphone.

  
"Northern Light, you are about to receive your first sponsor as a hero. You understand that with this sponsorship, you are expected to honor the name of CH2M. Any bad word said against the company can result in your retirement as a hero."

  
Kotetsu flinched slightly at the mention of that word.

  
"I understand," the boy replied confidently.

  
"Accepting that, do you also understand that being a hero is hard work? You will be fighting to be the best among the second league heroes."

  
"Yes, I understand."

  
"Northern Light, you currently have no sponsors. CH2M would be honored to be your first sponsor as you begin your work as a hero. Are you willing to accept this sponsorship?"

  
The boy stood there, silent for a while, then he smiled and looked up at Hinman. "I do accept CH2M to be my first sponsor as I begin my work as a hero."

  
The two older heroes nodded and clapped, watching the boy sign his contract and move over to where they were. Kotetsu patted the boy's back and grabbed his shoulder.  
"Congrats, kid!" Kotetsu had to shout in order for Gabriel to hear him.

  
"Now," Mario began again, waiting for the crowd to settle. "Let's take a look at the new suits for these three!"

  
Kotetsu and Barnaby looked at each other excitedly, not knowing that they were getting their new suits that night. They turned to face Ben and Saito as they brought out huge, rolling boxes that no doubt held the suits. Saito was pushing the smallest box, stopping it right behind Gabriel. Ben did the same wit the other two boxes, stopping them behind their respective hero.

  
"Northern Light, since you are new, you get to see your suit first," Mario said. "Go ahead and step towards the box."

  
Gabriel did so and let his eyes get wide as the box was removed.

  
The suit that was inside was unveiled quite dramatically, but it only added to how dazzling the suit was. It was mainly black, the accents being gold, green, and purple. The helmet itself was stunning on its own. It had a canine shape to it, the ear-like protrusions making it look more like a wolf. The chest plate of the suit boasted the logo of CH2M. The shoulder plates, divided into two flexible parts, were transparent in their green and purple colors. The helmet had transparent parts to it as well, including parts of the ears and the top of the head, much like Wild Tiger's suit.

  
The leg armor was fantastic and well crafted. All parts were constructed to move fluidly, and they looked like they might fly apart from each other. The arms were well covered, looking much like Barnaby's suit, and parts of them were transparent. As a whole, the suit was a sight to behold. It even made the two older heroes a bit jealous.

  
That is, until they saw their suits.

  
Gabriel was sent off to suit up, Saito going with him so he could learn to put it on properly. The two remaining heroes were left to marvel at their own suits. They admired the placement of their new sponsors' logos. On Barnaby's suit, the Oakley logo was placed sideways on its right leg, the leg that the good luck mode affected. On Wild Tiger's suit, the logo of Taco Bell was placed on the arm plate of its right arm, the arm that the brunette's good luck mode affected.

  
The two laughed as they joked about catching criminals with a sponsorship to the face. Their Good Luck mode was going to be used a lot more because of the placement of the sponsor logos.

 

-x-

  
After the ceremony was finished, there was a party that lasted well into the night, and lots of alcoholic beverages were consumed. Kotetsu was one that took advantage of the drinks, and he was far past just tipsy by 1 in the morning. However, somehow he had managed to drag Barnaby into the mix, and the blonde was just as intoxicated as his partner.

  
The party was held at a large club, therefore having a large dance floor. Most of the heroes were out dancing, with the exception of Blue Rose, Dragon Kid, and Origami Cyclone. Kaede, who had attended the ceremony, stayed with the three under-aged heroes. However, Origami was quite close to the legal age to drink, not that he was interested any in the alcoholic drinks.

  
Kaede was not too interested in watching her father and Barnaby dance, as it was almost lewd how much everyone was rubbing up against each other. Unfortunately, she could hear her father holler and laugh the night away, and she caught herself looking in the direction of the dance floor a couple of times. Each time it happened, she quickly looked away. She did not need to see her father in the state that he was in. It was disgusting in her eyes, and embarrassing. She wished she could just go home.

  
Meanwhile, the dance floor was getting quite heated. Most of the heroes were in the center with anybody near them rubbing against them. In the very center were Kotetsu and Barnaby. The two heroes were quite drunk, and they surely knew that, they just chose to ignore it and become even more intoxicated with each new drink. By 1 o'clock, the two had disappeared from the scene at least one noticeable time. To where they had disappeared to, nobody knew for sure. All anybody knew was that when the two were on the dance floor, the party seemed to liven much more.

  
At the current moment, Kotetsu was dancing and grinding on anybody that was near, which meant it was Barnaby who was rubbed on most often. The brunette had on the dumbest smile that Barnaby had ever seen, and it made him laugh, which was drunken and almost obscene. The two could not help but grind their bodies together. They were being squashed closer and closer to each other by the surrounding people, right up until they were quite literally on top of each other. Kotetsu had been picked up by the blonde, and he wrapped his legs drunkenly around Barnaby's waist. Their backs arched because of so many people pressing against them, but then did not seem to mind, despite the fact that they were drunk out of their minds.

  
Kaede could not stand to be around the club any more. The now 15 year old girl stood and asked Blue Rose to take her home. Silently, they left, Blue Rose returning after she had dropped Kaede off. The hero looked towards the dance floor out of boredom, blushing slightly when she saw Kotetsu raise his half-full glass of whiskey to the sky with a laugh. The contents of the glass were spilling over slightly with the movements to the music. It really was creating a wild scene, not to mention a huge mess as well.  
Karina sighed and looked back at Origami Cyclone and Dragon Kid. "I don't understand those weirdos sometimes."

  
The other two nodded in agreement.

  
Four o'clock rolled around with most of the heroes off the dance floor and at the bar or sitting at a table in some dark corner. For the three youngest heroes, sleep was imminent, or in Dragon Kid's case, it had already claimed her body. Rock Bison and Sky High were chatting lightly with Fire Emblem at the bar. All the second league heroes had gone home already, and the hero tag team was nowhere in sight once again.

  
Kotetsu and Barnaby were upstairs in a room designated for drunk and lustful activities, using the room for its intended purpose. This was the third time in the night that they had snuck off to the room. Both were so blasted they had no idea they had completely missed the bed this time, and really, they did not do anything. They had passed out on the floor, and no one knew where they were to take them home.

  
Karina became worried when they did not come back after ten minutes. She left her spot at the table and went searching the building. The building was huge to say the least. It was going to take a while to find the two heroes. However, Karina was lucky enough to find a door that was cracked open slightly. She pushed it open more, and she blushed when she saw Kotetsu and Barnaby sprawled out on the floor half naked, and not the half that she had wanted to see. At least the two were face down.

  
The icy hero cleared her throat and covered her eyes. Slowly, she made her way over to the unconscious heroes. She tapped her foot on Kotetsu a bit roughly.

  
The brunette moaned as he brought a hand up to rub his head. He looked up at Karina, eyes still glazed over from the intoxication. His lips cracked into a weird smile.  
"Heeeeyy Blue Rose!"

  
"Yeah, hi. I'm taking you two home now."

  
"Awww come on! We're jus gettin' started."

  
Barnaby sat up and rubbed his head. "I wanna go home..."

  
Kotetsu scoffed and laughed. He could not stop laughing for whatever reason, and soon Barnaby joined in. Karina stood there disgusted, calling Keith to come help her take the two drunk heroes home. Keith came up and helped the two get their pants back on before picking them both up and carrying them out to Karina's car. The aerodynamic hero tagged along to make sure Kotetsu and Barnaby got to bed properly.

  
Once they were in bed, both Kotetsu and Barnaby passed out quickly. When they woke up at noon, their heads were spinning like crazy, and several times Barnaby had to run to the bathroom to spill his alcohol out. Hard alcoholic beverages never settled well with the blonde. He made a mental note to never get drunk in a club ever again.

 

-x-

 

Kotetsu had been doing some hard thinking about Rock Bison's retirement. He was doing even harder thinking about his own retirement. When should he retire? Would he have a retirement party? Who would he tell? Would he keep it a secret from Bunny? For how long? Should he tell Bunny the moment he decided?

  
Too much thinking on the subject made Kotetsu's head hurt, and even more so as he did bench presses at the gym. He just could not stop thinking about retirement. It was a real possibility for him. Most heroes retired at his age, simply because they could not keep up in points with the younger heroes. Performance was still good, it just made Hero TV boring with an older hero struggling to gain even a few points when he should really have retired several seasons back.

  
Kotetsu dropped the bar on his chest, which was a total of 200 pounds of weight falling on to him. He cried out as he struggled to push it off. Even his Thousand Power did not help him lift it off. His mind was too stressed about retirement that he could not even build up the strength to lift the bar off of his chest.

  
Barnaby had heard Kotetsu shout, and his eyes were instantly wide as he rushed over to help his partner. The blonde had to shed all the extra weight from the bar in order to remove it. He let the bar clatter to the floor, and at this point every hero in the room had turned their attention to the partners. Barnaby helped Kotetsu sit up carefully. Worry dominated his expression as he rubbed the brunette's back lightly.

  
"Kotetsu? What happened?"

  
Kotetsu panted a little, still hyped up from the struggle of getting the bar off his chest. He looked down at the ground, resting his arms on his legs.

  
"Kotetsu, you're scaring me. What happened?"

  
"I..." was all the brunette could say. He groaned and buried his face in his hands in an attempt to cover up his tears.

  
All the heroes were gathered around the two partners now, each one remembering how Rock Bison had been before he retired. It was quite a sight to see. The heroes were supposed to be preparing for a special exhibition of their powers, but here they were gathered around the oldest hero, worried if he was okay or not.

  
"You what," Barnaby inquired from his partner. "What is it, Kotetsu?"

  
Kotetsu could not reply. He was too busy thinking that he had changed nothing in his performance this season, yet he was struggling to gain even a little points. He was at the bottom of the rankings.

  
Barnaby looked around at his fellow heroes, each one having the same worried expression. He looked back at Kotetsu and pulled away the brunet's hands. He was surprised to see tears falling from Kotetsu's eyes.

  
"Kotetsu... What's going on? What're you thinking about?"

  
Kotetsu wiped his eyes and looked up at his friends. His expression was one of determination. "I was just thinking... how I'm at the bottom of the scoreboard right now."  
Barnaby reeled back a bit. "The bottom?! But, you were at the top at the beginning of the season!"

  
Kotetsu nodded and smiled a bit. "I know, and I never changed a thing. I just slid down... because I couldn't keep up with you guys."

  
Sky High shook his head slightly, then he stepped forward. "You have been keeping up just fine."

  
"Thanks for staying positive, Sky, but you all know I've been sliding. I think... Well, I think it's about time I retire."

  
All the younger heroes immediately voiced their oppositions to the comment. It was a bit much for Kotetsu, and it was way over the line for Barnaby. The blonde stood and backed away some, then he turned to the rest of the heroes.

  
"Everybody be quiet!"

  
The room was instantly silent. Everyone turned their attention to Barnaby. The blonde turned back to his partner and opened his mouth. "You can't retire yet, Kotetsu. You still have a lot of years left to go in you. You're incredibly healthy and fit. How did you even fall to the bottom if you didn't change anything in your performance?"

  
"Because I'm old, Bunny."

  
"You're only 42!"

  
"Yeah, so? You try being a hero for 14 years!"

  
"I intend to. With you by my side, Kotetsu!"

  
Kotets lowered his eyebrows. "You think I'm going to last for another nine years while you keep going? I'd be 51 by that time."

  
"And I'd be 36. So what?"

  
"There hasn't been a single hero who has been in duty barely past 40! The oldest retired at 44. I don't intend on staying in duty for that long."

  
Barnaby shook his head. "Why not?! You're doing fine now!"

  
"I'm at the god damned bottom, Barnaby!"

  
Silence followed for several minutes while the two looked at each other. After a while, Kotetsu stood and moved closer to Barnaby.

  
"Listen, Bunny. I'm sorry I yelled at you, but really. I've been at the bottom for the majority of the season. It's time for me to let the young guys have their fun."

  
"I'm not young anymore..." Barnaby mumbled as he took Kotetsu's hand.

  
"Bunny, you're 27. That's still young."

  
Barnaby shook his head and put his forehead against Kotetsu's. "I don't want to be a hero without you, Kotetsu."

  
The brunette smiled and hugged his partner. "I know you don't. I don't want you to be alone. But you'll have to go on without me."

  
"I can't..." Barnaby whispered.

  
"Yes you can. Finish out this season strong with me, okay? Then next season, perform just like you always have."

  
"No." Barnaby's voice cracked as he pulled away. "One more season with you, please! That's what I want, Kotetsu... One more..."

  
The brunet sighed and looked around. His friends began talking again, telling him to stay and to keep working with Barnaby. He looked back at his partner, who had tears in his green eyes. Seeing his partner like that just tore right through his heart, and he signed heavily.

  
"Bunny, I..."

  
"Please, Kotetsu... Please."

  
They looked into each other's eyes, which made Kotetsu's heart soften even more to the point where he pulled Barnaby into a hug. "Okay. Okay, fine... Just one more season. I'll do it for you, Bunny."

  
Barnaby hugged Kotetsu tighter and smiled wide. His tears fell onto Kotetsu's shoulder silently and slid down under the brunette's shirt. Kotetsu shivered at the feeling and pulled away to wipe away the tears. He looked up at Barnaby with a smile, then kissed him lightly.

  
"Only one season though," he added.

  
Barnaby nodded with a shy smile. "Of course, that was all I asked for."

 

-x-

 

Leaving the gym for the day, Kotetsu was in a depressed mood. He was glad his partner had been in a slightly aroused mood, because Kotetsu really did not feel like doing anything but lay on the bed and let Barnaby feel him over.

  
It felt amazing, having Barnaby run his hands down the brunet's body while he planted butterfly kisses on his neck. He twisted and turned his body as he was overcome with pleasure. The feeling of the blond's tongue on his skin, the heated breath that came with the tongue, the slight scraping of teeth on his neck and shoulders, it all made Kotetsu moan and whimper. He wanted more, but he did not have the words to ask for it. His mind was being blown at the current moment.

  
Kotetsu looked up at Barnaby the whole time he was with kisses and licks. He loved watching Barnaby's expressions, loved hearing his voice, especially loved feeling the blond's body twitch underneath his hands.

  
At some point Barnaby stopped and sat up properly, noticing that Kotetsu was attempting to hold back tears. He sighed and pulled the brunet into a hug. "What's the matter, Kotetsu? Am I doing something wrong?"

  
"No... Just keep going."

  
With a slight shake of his head, Barnaby pushed Kotetsu back on the bed and began kissing him again. His hands wandered down to the button of the brunet's pants, and they slowly undid the button, and then the zipper. Both partners' shirts were already discarded to the floor, and Barnaby had loosened his pants before they started.

  
Kotetsu wrapped his arms around Barnaby's neck and moaned again. He panted and sighed more as his partner pulled his pants down, and then his own pants. The two had waited a bit to relax from exercising to start a night of fulfilling fantasies, and they had eaten as well. Kotetsu was proud of himself for keeping the weight he had gained a few years ago off, and he was incredibly fit and built from the workout. Plus, with keeping the weight off, his tattoo on his right hip was looking better than ever.

  
Barnaby's tattoo was looking quite handsome as well, Kotetsu watching it move as Barnaby moved within him. The blond only seemed to improve Kotetsu's reactions, as he moved his face down Kotetsu's torso and stopped at his hips. Pale hands tugged at the elastic of the brunet's underwear, and Kotetsu moaned.

  
They proceeded to go through their actions for several rounds, Barnaby taking the lead each time. He wanted to make sure Kotetsu was filled with so much pleasure and exhaustion that he could not think about the events of the day. Barnaby succeeded in making his partner so exhausted that when they were done the brunet fell asleep after a few strokes of his hair. 

  
Barnaby went and cleaned himself, then returned to find Kotetsu curled up tightly around his pink stuffed bunny, crying to himself. The blond sighed. He had not been asleep for very long, and already haunting dreams either woke him up or made him break down while he slept. Every time, it broke Barnaby's heart to see his partner in that state.  
With a towel wrapped around his waist, Barnaby padded over to the bed and sat on the edge, stroking Kotetsu's hair gently and reassuringly.

  
"Poor guy," Barnaby said quietly. "You'll never make it without me."


	2. Memories of Retirement Part 2: ...Taking it Down

Chapter 1: Memories of Retirement  
Part 2: ...Taking it Down

"This season of Hero TV sure started off with a bang for you two," Mario commented during a late night talk show. "A double arrest and several appearances on the fronts of magazines. Surely all this publicity gets to be a bit much, doesn't it?"

  
"It can get a bit over powering," Barnaby answered with a chuckle. "But it's great to be known by the public."

  
"Speaking of the public," Mario continued. "There's been plenty of talk about you two in terms of relationships. Everyone has been saying you two are in a romantic relationship now. Are the rumors true?"

  
Kotetsu shrugged. "Bunny and I are close friends and amazing partners in justice. How much closer could we get?"

  
"Well, you could be dating, which is what everybody seems to think. But the question is, does the public have the right idea?"

  
"Kotetsu and I neither confirm nor deny the rumors," Barnaby responded.

  
"Oh, now surely there's something going on romantically between you guys. The whole public is dying to know!"

  
"If what the public thinks is that we are dating," Kotetsu said. "Then, yes."

  
"So, you do confirm?"

  
"I never said that." Kotetsu smiled.

  
"Oh, come on, boys! You two have got to be dating!"

  
"If the public believes that," Barnaby said with a smirk. The two heroes were playing with Mario, but they really were not going to come out with the truth for a while. They wanted the people of Stern Bild to believe what they wanted.

  
"Then yes, you are in a romantic relationship."

  
"Again," Barnaby said. "We neither confirm nor deny."

  
Mario sighed with a smile. "Well, it looks like I'm not getting a straight answer out of you two. So let's move on..."

  
Kotetsu and Barnaby smiled and interlocked their fingers while Mario was turned away, and Barnaby stole a quick kiss to the brunet's knuckles. The studio audience went nuts over the gesture, Mario giving a confused expression as he turned back to the heroes.

  
"Alright, so you two have been working together for five full seasons, this season being your sixth. Kotetsu this is your 15th year of duty as a hero. What's it like trying to keep up with all the younger heroes?"

  
Kotetsu smiled and looked at his partner. "It's been wild... And it's only getting wilder."

  
Barnaby chuckled and nodded.

  
"But," Kotetsu continued. "It's hard for me to stay on top. I'm not much use to the entertainment of Hero TV anymore. I've only been holding Bunny back from his full potential."

  
"Oh, no you haven't," Barnaby commented.

  
"Yes I have, Bunny! I'm weighing you down."

  
"Well it sounds like you two have some thinking to do," Mario butted in. "I'd hurry up with that since the end of the season is growing closer."

  
Kotetsu looked at his feet with a sigh. Barnaby took over the talking. "Well, we don't really have any talking to do. We've done all our talking already."

  
"Oh?"

  
Barnaby rubbed his partner's back slightly before replying. "We're not going to be around for much longer. That's why we've decided to retire at the end if this season."

  
The studio audience erupted into chaos, shouts and sobs being heard loud and clear through every TV displaying the late night show. Even Mario was in shock at the statement. But, the two heroes took the reaction fairly well. They simply smiled and waited for things to calm down. Mario spoke up when things did calm a bit.

  
"Why are both of you leaving?! Barnaby could still be a hero!"

  
"Well," Kotetsu began. "I'm leaving because I'm just a bore to the city. I don't get many points any more. And besides, Hero TV needs new heroes. Apollon Media has an awesome and promising second league hero in active duty."

  
"Your reason for leaving is reasonable, but what about you, Barnaby? Why are you leaving too?!"

  
"This old man needs someone to look after him," the blonde said with a smile. The audience laughed, which made it seem the people of the crowd had relaxed. "And we booth want to get away from Stern Bild, truth be told. We want to see other parts of the world, and being able to do it together means we both have to retire."

  
Mario was still in great disbelief as he asked his next question. "So can't you wait? I mean, you're at the top of your game, Barnaby. Why would you leave now? You have so much more potential!"

  
"Being a hero is a great thing, but being there for your family is even greater. Besides, if we waited until I'm at retiring age, Tiger would be too old to do anything without complaining or breaking himself." The blonde chuckled, as did the rest of the audience and Kotetsu.

  
"He's old enough already," Barnaby finished.

  
Mario sat back in his chair and exhaled. "Well, you two sure have put a lot on the public's plate."

  
Both heroes nodded. "Indeed we have," Kotetsu said.

 

-x-

 

The season was drawing to a close quickly, and Kotetsu was not mentally prepared for it. He continually sat in the gym not exercising much. He would occasionally perform a few lifts of the barbell, maybe the hand weights, rarely any of the other equipment in the gym. He was depressed. It was that simple.

  
Barnaby attempted to cheer his partner up as best as he could, but his efforts were not enough to make Kotetsu the cheery man he once was. It was saddening really. Barnaby hated seeing the brunette in that state, but he had to admit he himself had that twinge of sadness in his heart. He did not want to leave duty, and neither did Kotetsu.  
So why were they retiring?

  
Both men dreaded the last time they would be called. When it did happen, both heroes stood in front of their lockers for almost a minute before they were called out their trance by Saito. They slowly changed into their under suits, then they stepped on to the suit-attachment platforms for the last time. Barnaby was actually surprised to see a slight smile on his partner's face as their suits were locked on pieces at a time. It humbled the blonde, and a smile formed on his lips as well.

  
Soon, the two climbed on to their bikes, Kotetsu's bike being in its sidecar form. The back of the Apollon Media van opened up, and the two slid out and sped off to the scene of the call, which was close to the center of the city, where the Travis incident had occurred three years previous.

  
Three years already, Kotetsu thought. Man, how time does fly when you're having fun.

  
Both were silent all the way to the scene, and both continued to be silent until they approached the criminal. Even then, they did not talk much. They attacked and defended, working in perfect harmony to break the down criminal's barriers and attacks. They worked quickly and smoothly.

  
No other heroes, first or second league, interfered with the two partners. This was their last call, and it was intended to be all for them. It was their time to shine, and shine they did. Each attack they made, every dodge and trick they pulled was performed at the best they had ever performed. Their skills were at maximum potential, and their minds were completely focused on the task at hand.

  
However, all they really thought about were each other. They constantly watched each other's backs, and they easily wore down the criminal, a NEXT with powers similar to Dragon Kid. They maneuvered swiftly between attacks, and at the right moment, they made their final attack in Good Luck mode.

  
The criminal was exhausted, and he gave up without any more fighting. Kotetsu picked up the boy, only 19 years old, and held him almost triumphantly in the air until the police came and took him away. At that moment, all the other heroes came out and applauded, and slowly, the sound of roaring applause and cheering was heard from many citizens of Stern Bild. It was a sound that strangely broke Kotetsu's heart. But he knew it was applause for such excellent work he had performed over the years.

  
Barnaby wrapped his arms around the brunette and hugged him tightly. Kotetsu hugged back and let some tears fall. That was it. That was his last arrest, his last call, his last act as a hero. It made him happy.

 

-x-

 

"The King of Heroes this season is," Mario announced at the end of the season ceremony. "In the first league, Barnaby Brooks Junior!"

  
The crowd went wild as the blonde hero stepped forward, grabbing his partner's arm while doing so. He made no speech, only stood and waved while holding Kotetsu close, forcing Kotetsu to wave as well.

  
"And for the second league, the Prince of Heroes is Northern Light!"

  
The younger hero stepped forward as well, standing by his coworkers with a smile, his face mask lifted and a smile plastered onto his face. A black and white mask covered his face to hide his identity. He looked up at Barnaby and Kotetsu, very proud that he was standing next to the most popular heroes in Stern Bild history.

  
"Ladies and gentlemen, your winners of this season of Hero TV Live!"

  
The crowd was now standing, roaring as loud as it could. People were screaming and laughing and crying and cheering, for one reason or another. It made Kotetsu proud to have been a hero for 15 years. Surely that was a new record.

  
For Gabriel, the experience was breathtaking. The amount of people who stood and cheered before his was astounding. He almost did not believe that so many people could be gathered in one place to celebrate the performance of the best heroes in history. He was awed, and he showed it. He heard Kotetsu and Barnaby laugh a little, and looking at them, he discovered that the were laughing at his behavior. The young hero blushed a little.

  
The after party was hardly interesting for Kotetsu. He found it quite hard to focus properly on those asking him questions and wanting to get photos with him. His mind was wandering a great deal, and he wished it did not. Anything from his retirement to Barnaby to the Travis incident nearly three years previous flowed through his mind. It was almost sickening how much he fretted over simple things. All he wanted was a calm mind and a sound spirit. But to do that, the brunette certainly had to drag Barnaby off somewhere alone and do some very unprofessional things. He did not want the night to come to that, but if it needed to happen, then let it happen.

  
Barnaby could tell Kotetsu was uneasy. The way the brunette shifted his gaze about made it clear, as well as his constant fidgeting. The blonde tried his best to stay near his partner, but he was constantly pulled away by adoring fans and CEO's of sponsors. It was a miracle that Barnaby ended up with Kotetsu at the end of the party. The blonde knew Kotetsu was scared for the future, scared for what he would be after the retirement ceremony that would occur the next day.

  
Kotetsu expressed his fear as the two were heading home to their apartment, which they had moved into a year and a half previous when they realized they needed more privacy than they had. They lived back within the city limits on the Gold Level. Therefore, their apartment was quite nice, very spacious and a loft similar to the one in Kotetsu's old apartment.

 

(R-18 Starts Here!)

When they entered the rather large apartment, clothes came off almost instantly. Of course, the suits were hung to be rid of the stench of fancy alcoholic beverages and drunkards, then the two did not even make it to the stairs before they were kissing and grinding against each other. They were hot and bothered, and it was incredibly erotic. Kotetsu had left his socks on, including his sock garters, which the brunet knew was one of Barnaby's turn-on's. He rubbed the cool pieces of metal against the younger man's legs, and Barnaby moaned, thankful once again that he was able to make such a noise without having to worry about being yelled at to be quiet or to stop. If there was one thing Barnaby hated, it was being told to stop in the middle or right before sex.

  
All the intimate touches made Kotetsu writhe and whine. He wanted to feel Barnaby inside him, wanted to feel how close and erotic it was. His heart raced just thinking about it, and he moaned as Barnaby's tongue slipped into his mouth. The feeling was beautiful. Kotetsu had not felt that sensation in almost two months, which was a very long time to not participate in any sort of erotic activity. Of course, there had not been any time for fun due to legal matters that came with retirement. The final nail would be hammered at the retirement ceremony the next day, and then the two would be free to do whatever they wanted...

  
Except for saving people.

  
Kotetsu dug his nails into Barnaby's skin at the thought. He would not be able to perform his duty as a hero after the next day. It would all be over after then. No more hero suits, no more call bracelets, no more lockers or annoying paperwork to fill out before noon every day, no more transport vans or Double Chaser, no more Apollon Media.

  
The blonde gritted his teeth and pushed Kotetsu against the wall, sliding him down to the floor and licking at his tattoo over his right hip. It made his mind go wild, but Barnaby knew that Kotetsu was frustrated, and licking and biting that tattoo would make the brunette focus more on the task at hand rather than issues that could be dealt with at a later time. For the moment, it was all about Barnaby and nothing else. There was no need to think of anything else. Barnaby was all that Kotetsu needed, and he let out a moan to acknowledge that fact.

  
"Bunny..." Kotetsu gasped out. He wrapped his arms around his partner's neck and tilted his head to let his own neck be assaulted with kisses and bites. He moaned louder and spread his legs to let Barnaby between them. The blonde hero grinded against his partner as he kissed Kotetsu's neck. The older man let out a high-pitched noise as the kisses progressed, and Barnaby tilted his head to the side a bit, interested in hearing that noise once more. He grinded a bit harder, and the noise came again, along with a desperate plea that never arose unless Kotetsu was incredibly desperate or just insanely horny. In this case, he very well could have been both.

  
"Bunny! Please, Bunny!"

  
"Please what," Barnaby inquired teasingly. He smirked when Kotetsu groaned at the question.

  
"I-I w-wanna feel th-the headboard of th-the b-bed creak... Th-the b-bed..." Kotetsu balled his hands into Barnaby's hair and cried desperately. "Take me... On the bed, Bunny!"  
Barnaby wasted no time in princess carrying his partner up the loft and to the bed in the corner, where he shoved the brunette into the mattress and proceeded to tear away both his and his partner's underwear. The immense amount of lust that had rushed through him made him almost see red. The way Kotetsu looked at him with half-lidded eyes and a bright red face made him feel more like the tiger of the situation rather than the bunny. He was not sure if he liked it or not.

  
Rough fingers rubbed lightly over Barnaby's tattoo that was placed above his left hip. It caused a shiver to run up Barnaby's back. The touch made his hips buck slightly as well, and suddenly he could not hold himself back. Barnaby pushed Kotetsu's hands above his head and spread his legs wide. He did not even think to put on a condom or to even prepare his partner a little. He just dove right in dry and hard, groaning as he did so to ignore the pain.

  
Kotetsu shouted, tears forming in his eyes as he moved his hips with Barnaby's. He wanted to feel the pain. It would make his thoughts come to a screeching halt, and then all he would know and feel would be Barnaby. It was already to that point, and his whole torso soon hurt from the fast pace that Barnaby was going.

  
Watching Barnaby's face almost made Kotetsu sick to his stomach. Maybe it was because he was pounding into him over and over. Maybe it was because he was light-headed from the rapid pace. Maybe it was because they were 40 stories above the bottom of the Gold Level.

  
That could not have been it. They had done this plenty of times from 40 stories up. Either way, Kotetsu did not want to look at Barnaby. He would have came instantly if he did.  
Barnaby could not stop staring down at Kotetsu. Each of his thrusts were spent either looking at his partner's face or his tattoo. Both were entertaining to watch, and both made the blonde's stomach turn into knots. He felt that he would not hold on for much longer, and he noticed Kotetsu was struggling with holding back.

  
"Kotetsu-san..." Barnaby practically moaned out his partner's name. Somehow it gave some unspoken permission for Kotetsu to let out several moans and shouts, and they all came flooding out of the brunette's mouth. His breath hitched for a bit, then came back with a loud moan. This happened several times before he could not hold on any longer.  
"Ahh! B-Bunny!"

  
"Kotetsu-san!"

  
Kotetsu writhed and let his breath hitch another time before screaming out words that were almost incoherent.

  
"Harder! Morepleasemore!"

  
Barnaby changed his angle and groaned loudly. As soon as he did, Kotetsu grabbed his forearms and squeezed his eyes shut.

  
"Bunny I'mgonnacum! Bunn... AHH!"

  
His breath had hitched once more as his torso spasmed with his hard release. Tears streamed down his face, and his hips bucked with his orgasm. Barnaby soon reached his climax as well, coming inside Kotetsu with an erotic moan. Both heroes hurt, and both were exhausted from the dry sex. Both had clearly let the intimacy chase away their anxiety and stress. It was a relief once all was done, but the anxiety still remained.

(R-18 Ends Here.)

Kotetsu covered his face and cried silently. It was a small cry, but it was enough to get Barnaby to wrap around him and hold him close. The truth was Barnaby hated the whole retirement business. He would have rather stayed in duty for several more years with Kotetsu, but he knew that his partner was now 43 years old. He himself was only 27, about to turn 28, and he was just a few years older from being half of Kotetsu's age.

  
Kaede was already 15. Barnaby could not believe that she was already in high school, or, it was actually called secondary school by those of Japanese bloodline. Kaede was a first year, right? Maybe they should have waited until she graduated to retire.

  
Barnaby shook his head, kissing the back of his partner's neck gently. They were making the right choice by retiring now. Kotetsu was not physically capable of taking even one more season's worth of beatings and damage. He would break the moment he started the season. It was good they were retiring now. They would be able to spend lots of time together, not having to worry about a company paying for any damages made while in action. It was going to be nice to get away from all the bustle of a hero's life.

  
So why was Barnaby having second thoughts about his decision?

  
Kotetsu held on to Barnaby tighter than he had before, or so it felt. His mind was reeling. What would life be like as a civilian? He had lived all his adult life as a hero, and life before that had been quite rough, even with Tomoe in the equation.

  
Tomoe...

  
Kotetsu pulled his hand up to his face and kissed the two rings he had on his wedding ring finger. One was black with three geometric triangles all stuck together as one shape, and the other was a smooth, gold band that had his hero name engraved on the inside, and on the outside, also engraved, was his and his partner's last name hyphenated together as one long surname of Kaburagi-Brooks. The brunette kissed both rings and buried his face into his pillow.

  
Leaving everything the two knew behind would be a challenge. All they had ever known was Stern Bild. They had never permanently lived anywhere else, excluding Kotetsu's time in Oriental Town. It was a scary thought. Where were they going to go to? Japan? Europe? South America? So many good choices, yet none of them seemed to be home for either of the heroes. It was almost impossible to make a decision, yet one had to be made, and soon. They planned on leaving on a plane the morning after the ceremony.  
Kotetsu sat up in the bed, pushing away Barnaby's arms with some effort. He stared at the floor in silence, and he stood when Barnaby moved closer to him. He needed to let out more energy, needed to feel more pain than what he already felt. Feeling pain would make him feel better right?

  
Slipping on a pair of shorts after a fresh pair of underwear, Kotetsu tied his running shoes and stepped out the door, his phone and headphones in hand.  
Barnaby was left in the apartment by himself, wondering if there was something he did wrong to make Kotetsu so upset, but after thinking hard, there was nothing that came to mind to the blonde.

 

-x-

 

Kotetsu ran fast and hard. His legs and arms pumped as fast as they could go. He felt terrible, and his chest hurt as he took in deep breaths. Several times, he tripped over his feet and almost almost took quite a few faceplants in the process. His back hurt, especially his lower back. His legs burned, and his hands were not capable of grasping anything but the empty air around him.

  
He felt his legs starting to give out. They trembled and buckled with every step he took, and when they did give out, there was a bench close enough for Kotetsu to catch himself on. The brunette looked around after catching his breath. Empty streets and distant sirens were his companions. Parked cars, street lights, and cold buildings whispered many things to him. They told him about his failures as a hero, as a dad, as a partner, as a lover. Every wrong thing he ever did came upon him at the same time, and he almost collapsed off the bench and to the ground. Still, it was not enough pain. He needed more. He wanted to see blood spilled on the ground, his blood.

  
"What the hell," he mumbled to himself. "Have I gone mad? Why do I want to hurt myself?"

  
Do you have a reason to hurt yourself, came a soft voice.

  
"No, I don't..."

  
Then why make yourself hurt? You don't deserve to hurt this bad, Kotetsu.

  
"I don't... Deserve the pain? But... I've done so many things wrong."

  
"You've done absolutely nothing wrong, Kotetsu-san."

  
The brunet looked up quickly to see his partner crouched in front of him. A small smile began to form on Barnaby's face, attempting to reassure Kotetsu that he would be fine.  
"You don't need to beat yourself up over this. But, hey, I'm amazed at your self-control."

  
Kotetsu tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

  
"I mean, you haven't activated your power. If I were you, I would have blown it off already. You're gaining more control."

  
"Maybe..." Kotetsu stood, grimacing as he did so, and leaned towards Barnaby. The blonde took his partner into his arms and hugged tightly.They stood together in that position for several minutes before Kotetsu finally stood up properly and wiped his eyes.

  
“Maybe… I’m just not ready for this.”

  
The blonde nodded knowingly. “I know. I’m not ready either. But it’s good that we are.”

  
“I just feel like I’m letting the whole city down… By taking out the team, you know?”

  
“You’re not letting anyone down, Kotetsu.”

  
Kotetsu looked up at Barnaby, his eyes glittering with unshed tears, and he buried his face in Barnaby’s jacket. His head never moved from its place as the blonde picked up his partner and carried him all the way back to the apartment.

 

-x-

 

They slept as much as they could until the next day, until they were woken up by their call bracelets going off. Both sat up in bed quickly, Barnaby shoving the covers of his body and standing before realizing that they did not need to go anywhere that day. The fact hit them hard, especially with it being early in the day. The clock beside the bed said it was almost 7:30 A.M. It was much too early to have gotten enough rest in the night, considering the party had lasted until around 2 in the morning.

  
The two knew not of what to do with their empty time, other than pack up their things and have all mail and magazine subscriptions terminated. Walls were stripped of decorations. Floors became devoid of rugs and chairs, tables and lamps. Everything was packed away into boxes or transported to storage units. The two heroes had not planned on staying away forever, but it would be a while before they were back in Stern Bild. Everything that was too big to be transported in an airplane would be left behind, along with precious memories and friends which would not be forgotten.

  
Throughout the whole day, the call bracelets went off. Kotetsu had counted at least eight times before the ceremony that night. What would even be done to those bracelets when they were no longer in use? Would they be kept with the suits? Neither Kotetsu nor Barnaby knew what would happen to them, but hopefully they would not be completely destroyed just because they would not be in use.

  
When the room was cleaned and packed, Kotetsu and Barnaby sat on the steps to the loft. They looked out the window at the sun, an almost eerie glow being cast into the room and on to the heroes. Blank expressions were made by the two.

  
“Are you ready,” Kotetsu asked quietly, leaning against Barnaby.

  
It took a while for the blonde to reply, but his answer was just as quiet as Kotetsu’s question. “Yeah. Let’s go…”

 

There were a lot of people, and not in the metaphoric way. There were literally a LOT of people. Kids, adults, parents, children, grandchildren, grandparents, heroes, criminals, civilians, anyone that could be thought of was there at the retirement ceremony. It would have been no exaggeration to say that half of the city was in attendance. All the heroes were attending, including the second leagues. However, the Apollon Media second league hero was granted access to backstage to visit with all the sponsor’s CEO’s and the two heroes of the night.

  
Gabriel was excited to chat with the sponsors, but he was more focused on talking to Barnaby and Kotetsu. They had been his inspiration, so why should he not go and congratulate them?

  
After his congratulations, Gabriel went out into the crowd of people and took his seat in the huge auditorium. He was towards the front, but not in the very front. Those seats were reserved for sponsors and first league heroes. Even Rock Bison was there in front, and so was Ryan Goldsmith, the former and very brief partner of Barnaby Brooks Jr. He seemed to be accepted by the other heroes, which was good for the night. There did not need to be any fights or accidents that broke out.

  
Barnaby and Kotetsu were directed to the Apollon Media van to change into their suits for their walk-in into the building. As they changed, they had many memories flood their minds, most of them occurring in their partnership. The under suits were on, and then came the actual hero suits, decked out in their green and pink colors. Kotetsu refused to put his face mask down after the suit was on. He thought of it as sealing the deal to retire. He was not ready. Would he ever be? He had to be. He had to go into the building and face the truth. With a smile, the mask was lowered, and the two walked to the entrance of the building.

  
The doors to the auditorium were opened, and down the center aisle walked the two most respected heroes of Hero TV. The crowd was actually silent, as were the heroes. All stood for the two, and all remained standing until they reached the stage. Then, they stood in the center, looking out at the people in which they had served for several years.  
Mario came out and began to speak. Most of what he said was lost on the heroes. They did not pay attention until the legal documents were brought out and sat in front of them on a table.

  
“Now, Barnaby and Wild Tiger, would you please remove your suits?”

  
Both stepped back into a contraption that was set up to remove their suits, Each piece was taken off and reformed into the model behind them. Once all pieces were removed, the two stepped forward again in only their under suits. Kotetsu could not help but begin crying.

  
“And now, with your suits retired, remove your call bracelets and sign the papers in front of you.”

  
Kotetsu was the last to step forward and sign. He did so with tears blurring his vision, and then he stepped back.

  
“Ladies and gentlemen! This is Tiger and Barnaby, signing out for the last time!”

  
Kotetsu grabbed Barnaby and let go of all his tears. The two hugged long and hard, their sobbing drowned out by the roar of the crowd. Yes, even Barnaby had been crying. He was happy, and so was his partner. They both were happy for their retirement. They knew they would have so much more time together now, but the crying really did nothing to prove the point.

  
Barnaby pulled away and held his hand in front of him with the thumb up. Kotetsu did the same, then grabbed the blond’s hand and held it high. He wiped away his tears with the other hand. At last, it was over. After so many years, Kotetsu’s hero career was over. But being a hero was never over. A hero’s work was never done.

  
“Never…” Kotetsu said to himself with a smile. He was not going to give up on Tomoe or Barnaby, or even Kaede. All who he loved would not be let down because of his retirement. The professional part of being a hero was over. But for the lifetime part, it would never be over until the day Kotetsu died.


	3. Prince of Heroes

Chapter 2: Prince of Heroes

Five years later...

When Kotetsu and Barnaby retired, Apollon Media was left without any first league heroes. Hero TV was left without any hero tag team, and the city of Stern Bild was left without its favorite heroes. Sure, there was plenty of criminal activity that took place, and the other heroes took care if the crimes, but the whole hero atmosphere seemed deflated without Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks Jr. Was the city like this before Barnaby had come along? When Wild Tiger debuted, it was phenomenal. When Barnaby Brooks Jr debuted, it was even more so. Then, when the two came together as a team, the Hero TV industry went skywards without signs of stopping.  
Gabriel Hayes was a second league hero for Apollon Media. He was content with his position while the two famed heroes were still around. But when they retired, he had hoped to be raised up to the first league. To his disappointment, his hope had been crushed with another new hero coming onto the scene. He was to take the place of Rock Bison, but he was by no means anywhere close to being as great as the retired hero was. This new hero was the reason Gabriel was not promoted, and Apollon Media was even okay with it.  
To be very honest, the new hero was easily outdone by Northern Light. The new hero’s power was not yet mastered by any means, and he was very clumsy. He was not the ideal hero for the first league, but he acted mainly as a filler, and he was in no way admired for his skill level. He quickly fell to the bottom of the scoreboard as soon as he began working.  
Gabriel thought it best that the new hero, Steel Boy, was put into the second league to learn to control his power. The young hero, though older than Gabriel, had gained his power in his mid teens, thus giving him very little time to become adjusted to the power before being thrust into the world of Hero TV. It was not fair that the inexperienced was placed in the first league while the veteran was kept in the second league.  
Veteran...  
It was a word that Gabriel had used to describe both Kotetsu and Barnaby. They had worked long enough as heroes to be veterans, especially Kotetsu. Still, he referred to himself as a veteran when his fifth year of service came around, which was the year that Steel Boy was debuted as a hero.  
Steel Boy had a power that was similar to Rock Bison's. His skin was able to turn hard as steel, making it quite difficult to injure him while in combat. However, the young man often wasted his power before he really needed it, as his power lasted for five minutes. His power was the only other recorded timed power, along with the hundred power and Kotetsu's thousand power. Outside of work, Steel Boy was known as Garth Hughes, and he was a very stuck up, rich boy. His wealth was part of the reason he was in the first league. He paid his way into the top, and it was for that reason that Gabriel truly hated Garth.

Gabriel's sixth season as a hero started off with more action than usual. The first call was for a burning building with several civilians stuck inside. The young hero, now 19 years old, was excited to get out of the Apollon building and do some good for the city. However, he was stopped before getting very far from his desk when the call came.  
"Gabriel," Lloyds called out. "Before you go, Saito and Ben have some things to discuss with you."  
"Did I do something wrong with the suit, Mr. Lloyds?"  
"Just go find out, will you?"  
Gabriel nodded, then he headed to the testing labs to talk with Saito and Ben. Lloyds had seemed to be in a sour mood ever since Kotetsu and Barnaby left Stern Bild. It was not enjoyable to be snapped at when nothing was done wrong, but lots of people had acted the same way when the two heroes left. Some were saddened. Many were angry. All were disappointed.  
Gabriel made his trip to the labs quick. He wanted to get out of the building and earn some points. When he walked in, Saito and Ben were standing next to a figure that looked frighteningly similar to Kotetsu, only with darker skin and almost white hair. The young hero was cautious as he approached the three in the room.  
"Saito? Ben? What... Did you need me for?"  
Ben looked at the boy with a smile. "Gabriel, good, you're here. Now we can test our experiment."  
"Um, I hate to break it to you guys," Gabriel said with a laugh. "But I just got a call. I don't have time for an experiment."  
"Oh, yes you do," Ben replied. "This experiment is taking place during this call."  
Gabriel quirked an eyebrow.  
"We'll explain more on the way to the scene of the call," Saito said through his megaphone. "Right now you two need to suit up!"  
Gabriel let out a relieved sigh and ran out the door and out of the building to the Apollon Media van. To his surprise, the Kotetsu clone had followed him, and it continued to follow him into the van. It followed him to the suit-up dock to have a suit put on, which confused Gabriel beyond reasoning. The hero ignored it, however, and his suit was snapped onto him two pieces at a time.  
Finally, Gabriel put his helmet on, and the face mask slid down over his face with a hiss of air. He stepped off his dock and looked beside him to see the clone fully suited up. It frightened him because the suit was that of H-01. He began to protest but was stopped before a single word escaped by being shoved towards his motorcycle. Slowly, he got on his black bike, watching the clone mount another motorcycle that was identical to Wild Tiger's, only black and pink instead of white and green. The back door of the van opened, and both Gabriel and the clone flew out and around the rather large vehicle.  
Gabriel glanced behind him, seeing the clone following him once again, and he voiced his curiosity and concern to Saito through the headset in his helmet.  
"Saito, mind telling me why this thing is following me?"  
"That thing would rather be referred to as a he, if you would be so kind," came Saito's reply, causing Gabriel to cringe at how harsh the answer was.  
"Sorry. Who is he?" The hero glanced back again, then revved his bike, sending him rocketing forwards.  
"He is what you would formerly know as H-01. He was recovered by Agnes shortly after he was blown to bits by his own gun. She saw him as an opportunity to raise the ratings. So she gave him to us to fix up and to reprogram. We've just now finished polishing him up with the finishing touches."  
"So, you dumped him on me to test? Gee, thanks." Gabriel laughed and dodged a few cars.  
"Sort of. You're on the right track, Northern Light."  
"Okay, so he's being tested on how well he works with others?"  
"Yes."  
"But of course that's not the real testing."  
"Nope!"  
Gabriel sighed with a smile. "You're not making this easy on me, Saito. So, he's a sidekick?"  
"Almost!"  
"A partner?"  
"Bingo! Meet your new partner, Black Tiger!"  
The squeal of rubber on pavement filled the air as Gabriel screeched to a halt in front of the burning building. By the time he had arrived, most of the civilians had been rescued. Very little remained inside, and even then most were dead already. It was a shame, but sometimes things happened.  
Gabriel hopped off his bike and ran towards the building, his new partner close behind. They stopped about 20 feet away from the building to assess the situation. Once all relative data was gathered, Gabriel turned to Black Tiger.  
"Looks like there are about ten people still inside who are alive. You get five and I'll get five, then we'll both max out on points."  
With a nod, the strangely silent man took off towards the building and jumped to reach the floor where the most people were located. The heat of the fire was intense, and it licked at the outer shell of the clone's suit. However, the man did not feel the heat as he grabbed a couple of living bodies and jumped back out the building to set them down at a safe distance.  
Gabriel had activated his power and was sending blasts of light waves towards the fire to blow away the smoke from the people he was rescuing. Soon he had all five of his people out of the building, and just in time. The building began to collapse in on itself, and several bystanders were in harm's way because of it. The Kotetsu clone jumped into action to delay the collapse some in order to let the bystanders get to safety. Gabriel could not let his new partner do it all himself, so the younger hero let some of the first league heroes guide the civilians away while he raced back towards the building.  
With a shout, Gabriel jumped into the air. His suit transformed around him as it audibly announced that he had gone into Good Luck Mode. The suit became more quadruped, and it glowed brilliantly. The hero ducked his head in a low growl, then threw his head back and released a howl that was so powerful it pushed the building away from the civilians, keeping it contained to one spot at the same time.  
The clone looked in Gabriel's direction with interest, then went back to containing the building. In the end, the building had collapsed fully, but it had been contained to one area thanks to Gabriel and his new partner, Black Tiger.  
As much praise as they deserved, the two received none. The attention of the event was directed more towards the first league heroes. They, of course, were the real stars of Hero TV but it was a disappointment to see that Northern Light and Black Tiger and arrived at the scene instead of Steel Boy. The new hero was nowhere in sight, thus receiving no publicity for Kronos Foods.  
Gabriel and Black Tiger hung out at the site, out of the way of all the paparazzi and the first league heroes. The boy was not too happy at the results of the call. For a full five years, Northern Light had been stuck in the second league performing heroic acts that could be done by first league heroes. Yet, he still was not promoted, and he still was given no credit for the acts he performed by the public. All the praise he ever received was from his parents, Ben, and Saito. Not even Lloyds praised him, and Gabriel had not heard from Barnaby and Kotetsu for nearly four years. Maybe his new partner would give him more meaningless praise. Gabriel did not know how much longer he would be able to work in the second league without going crazy. He deserved to be in the first league, Ben had said so. The older man had told him that he was highly qualified to be in the first league. It was just a string of unfortunate events that caused him to stay in the second league.  
Ben had said that Steel Boy was worse than Wild Tiger at his lowest point. Wild Tiger had had a few points in each season he performed his duty as a hero. Steel Boy already had had two seasons in a row of no points at all. The hero really did suck at his duty. He had not saved anyone that Gabriel was aware of, and he rarely showed up to calls that were life threatening. Steel Boy should not have been called a hero at all.  
And yet, the stuck up boy was kept in the first league.  
"It's not even fair," Gabriel said quite forcefully out loud to no one in particular. Black Tiger looked at the boy and lifted his face mask, revealing the silvery synthetic hair that fell over the android's eyes.  
Gabriel looked up at his new partner, his face mask already lifted, with a scowl. Black Tiger looked away quickly, but Gabriel continued his rant nonetheless, directing it towards the android because he had no one else to direct it at, seeing as Steel Boy was not there.  
"He gets to be in the first league because he looks flashy. His skills with his power sucks, and here I am stuck in this stupid second league position with no way to get promoted. How can he be called a hero?! He hasn't saved anybody or stopped amy criminals. He hasn't even earned any points this season!"  
Black Tiger looked at Gabriel once more, taking the scolding that he did not deserve. It did not bother him, as he was merely a machine and did not understand why exactly he was being yelled at. He took it coolly nonetheless because he at least understood that the boy was stressed and needed to calm down somehow.  
Gabriel continued to yell and complain, expressing his true feelings for Steel Boy. He shouted until his throat hurt, and by the end, most of the bystanders and heroes were looking in his direction. He created a scene that drew attention to him in a way that he had never wanted to happen. He became so frustrated and angry that he forced himself to shut up and get on to his motorcycle before he dug himself a hole that was too deep for him to get out of.  
Upon arrival back to the Apollon Media building, Gabriel was furious. He felt the need to shoot something, but he knew he could not shoot anything if he wanted to stay a hero, second league or not. He removed his suit and made sure it was properly stored before heading back to the labs in his under suit, his partner following silently.  
Saito greeted the two as they came in. "So, how did it go you two? Everything work out okay?"  
Gabriel plopped into a chair sideways and groaned a bit too dramatically.  
"Um... I don't know how to take that," Saito said slowly. Ben came in at that moment and chuckled.  
"Let me guess," he started. "Garth didn't show up again?"  
"No, he didn't!" Gabriel shouted, startling the android behind the chair he was in. The hero felt bad, and apologized to his partner. "Sorry, Black Tiger. I didn't mean to startle you with my shouting."  
The android simply nodded, which gave way to a disapproving grunt from Saito. "You can talk back, Black Tiger. He won't bite, you know!"  
Ben and Gabriel chuckled at the comment, then looked at the Kotetsu clone for a response. The android was wearing a red button-up with a black vest and a heavy jacket with the Apollon Media logo embroidered on it. He also wore black cargo pants and tall black boots that came up to his knees. His hair was silvery white and his eyes were a deep maroon in color, clearly not a normal color for any human.  
"Typically, humans do not bite items that are not edible. Therefore, I know quite well that Mr. Hayes would not have the intention of biting me. Yelling seemed to relieve stress for him better than biting things would."  
Gabriel was almost dumbfounded at the response that was given by the android. It sounded exactly like Kotetsu and more intelligent. It was scary almost.  
"Wow..." Was all Gabriel could manage to say as he stared at his new partner. After a while, he was snapped back to reality by yet another comment from the android.  
"Human ethics do continue to apply to human-like things, which includes me. It is not polite to stare at one in such an undignified way, Mr. Hayes."  
Gabriel blinked before realizing what was said. "O-oh. Sorry, I didn't mean to stare like that." He laughed and ruffled his hair a bit. "I just couldn't help it at the time. Again, I am sorry."  
"Black Tiger does not yet have a proper name for his true identity," Saito said after a bit. "We were hoping that after this first call together that, if you were willing to keep him as your partner, you could help us in naming him. He has expressed to us that he would like to go around without being identified as Black Tiger."  
"I did notice that he wore a mask while in his suit," Gabriel commented. "He's not wearing one now, so I'm assuming that he is dressed as his true identity."  
"That is correct," Ben confirmed.  
Gabriel looked back at his partner with a thoughtful expression. Coming up with a name would be hard since he did not know any Japanese names other than those of the Kaburagi family. And besides, a Japanese name seemed to suit him best since he was modeled after a Japanese man. The name had be mean something important that would identify the android as an individual, not a clone. And also, for the heck of it, it was decided to have the name begin with a K, to keep the connection to Kotetsu.  
"I'll have to think on that one," the hero said after a while.  
"So, you will keep him as your partner," Saito questioned.  
"Absolutely."  
Ben smiled at the answer. "Well, now that he's going to be a hero, he's going to need some sponsors."

A week later, in the middle of winter, Black Tiger received his three sponsors and his recognition as a second league hero. All of his sponsors were Kotetsu's old ones, which included SoftBank, S.H.Figurarts, and Lotte. The ceremony was not huge, but there were lots of people there to witness the recognition of the first android hero, as well as the world's first second league hero team, and the world's second hero team overall.  
The publicity that Apollon Media received after the recognition was at least comparable to the debut of Tiger and Barnaby, though it was nowhere close to the level with the first team. However, Apollon Media was becoming quite popular with the rights to two second league heroes under its belt. The company was also the only company to own the only two hero teams to ever exist.  
Still, no promotion was given to Gabriel. He was quite upset about that. His hopes had been brought back up with the massive boom in publicity, but it was all for naught. Nothing extra came out of the event, and nothing was going to cause the hero to become promoted.  
It was just the way it was going to be. The Prince of Heroes was going to stay in his position for the rest of his career, and there was no one who was more happy about the unfortunate event than Garth Hughes. His spot in the first league was guaranteed to stay, and nothing could be done to shake it from its foundation.  
Northern Light was to stay as a second league hero.

Concerning the name of Gabriel's new partner, the thought of even giving an android a proper name was a bit out of the ordinary. However, Black Tiger had wanted it, had wanted an identity of his own, as he was capable of thinking and performing by himself.  
Gabriel ran the question over his mind many times, especially at night when he found sleep hard to come by. His research had led him to many interesting possibilities, yet none seemed to fit the personality of the android. The Kotetsu clone acted similar to Kotetsu, yet entirely different at the same time, so it was difficult to pick a name that fit him. He was, indeed, a rather impressive creation, considering that his identity was created entirely from scratch with a model to go by. He looked identical to Kotetsu, but he was not identical by any means. His skin was darker and his hair was much lighter. The eyes were different, though height, hairstyle, and voice were the only factors that were relatively similar. Black Tiger was, in a word, grand.  
"Names that mean grand..." Gabriel searched for suitable names late one night in his bed. The glow of his laptop covered his small bedroom, revealing the silent android in the corner of the room, arms folded and eyes closed in a sort of stand-by mode.  
Most of the names that were found were not of japanese origin. It only made Gabriel frustrated when more and more non-Japanese names came up, but right as he was about to give up, he came across a name that was Japanese and started with a K.  
"Means grand, and also shining son. 'A charming man who is pleasant in his interactions with others, open, friendly, communicative and understanding. All the same, even though he appears shy, discreet and unassuming, he is actually shared between his concern and attention for others and his personal desire to be recognized for his true worth'."  
The hero looked over at the still resting android, then back at the description he had just read. "Well, you are grand in design. And you definitely want to be recognized for your true worth."  
Black Tiger looked up at Gabriel with interest. The description had perked his interest, so it seemed.  
Gabriel smiled. "Kotarou."  
The android hesitated, looked at the floor, then looked back up with his slightly glowing eyes. "Kotarou... Is a good name."  
Gabriel closed his laptop and placed it to the side, then he pulled the covers up over his shoulders. "Good night, Kotarou."  
"Good night, Mr. Hayes."


	4. Remember what snow was like?

Chapter 3: Remember what snow was like?

December.  
A time to be cheery and grateful for those you loved. It was a time to admire all the lights and brightly colored decorations that covered store windows and street lights. It was the give and receive season that everybody loved, unless of course they were categorized as a "Scrooge". But even with that sort of classification, the sour attitude seemed to melt away when any sort of gift was given to that individual.  
The title of being a "Scrooge" was never attached to the two former heroes who resided in Rio de Janeiro. In fact, they were known for most of their lives to celebrate the holiday season with much enthusiasm, despite the younger's disastrous experience at only four years old. Christmas was a time that both loved dearly, and they had spent the previous five years together for each winter, each holiday season, each treasured cup of cocoa that was shared between the two, disregarding the fact that it was nearly 100° F outside. Such was the life of living in Rio during the winter. Christmas in Rio was very different from Christmas in Stern Bild. There was no snow, and there was no giant tree made of artificial branches, but instead there was a giant metal cone in the harbor that was covered in lights rearranged in so many patterns it could make a person's head spin.  
A small apartment was the home of Kotetsu and Barnaby, two retired heroes of Stern Bild City. The apartment was large enough to accommodate their needs for living space, but it was small enough to keep a cozy atmosphere.   
Kotetsu mainly stayed at home while Barnaby went out to the outskirts of the city and helped those who were in need, which mostly included children who needed an education. Barnaby's job in Rio was pretty much a school teacher. He acted as a substitute teacher in some of the local grade schools, and he taught a good sized class of children outside the city how to read and write, in Portuguese as the primary language and in either Spanish or English as a secondary language. Teaching the children to be bilingual was very important to Barnaby, as it opened doors to them that would never have been opened if they knew only one language.  
Every night, Barnaby would come home wearing a loose t-shirt and shorts, while carrying the dress clothes he had wore in the morning. It got hot in Rio quickly, and Barnaby would teach his class in the afternoon, along with helping some NEXT students contain their powers.  
Kotetsu would be waiting for Barnaby, usually with food cooked already, but on occasion the brunette would be found snoozing on the couch with the TV on. Since moving to Rio, Kotetsu had learned many different cooking styles and recipes, thus expanding his "wide" variety of foods he could prepare. On this one night, just under two weeks from Christmas, Kotetsu was passed out on the couch with a blanket wrapped around him, the TV off as well as most of the lights in the apartment.  
Barnaby came in and set his keys in the bowl by the door, noting the odorless air in the apartment, telling him that Kotetsu had not felt up to cooking that day. He quietly padded to the bedroom and hung his work clothes in the closet, as they had not been used at all that day. Returning to the living room, Barnaby ran a hand through his somewhat limp hair due to the humidity, though by now he was used to it. The hair stylist trips were still quite a luxury though. The blonde's hair was slightly shorter, yet still retained its famous curls in the back.   
Kotetsu's hair was around the same length as when he was replaced by Ryan Goldsmith nearly seven years previous. His bangs were not as unkept, and most of the time they were slicked back. Usually there was one piece of hair that did not want to stay styled back, so it was always in the older man's face.  
The blonde sat on what little seat cushion the couch had left to offer and stroked his partner's cheek lightly. The response he got was a low moan and a very sick sounding cough. Barnaby sighed with a smile.  
"Are you feeling alright, Babe?"   
Another cough.  
"I'll take that as a no." Barnaby swept back Kotetsu's hair, the brunette looking at him quite pitifully. That expression always got the best of Barnaby, but that night it was not working. Yet, Barnaby did not want to be rude to his partner when he was sick.  
"Have you taken any medicine?" Barnaby stood. "It sounds like you have a cold. You didn't even put your glasses on." He walked away to the kitchen to find some cold medicine for Kotetsu. "You must be cold too. The thermostat was cranked up to almost 90°. You do remember it's hot out, right?" He came back with a small cup of red liquid, of which he handed to Kotetsu.  
The older man sat up as best as he could and drank the medicine. He handed the cup back to Barnaby and sighed while tipping his head on to the top of the couch. His eyes did not sparkle like they usually did. Kotetsu really was sick this time, not kinda sick, but very, very sick. How he got that way, Barnaby did not know. By that time, the two should have gotten used to the new area, thus been rid of any foreign illnesses.  
Barnaby remembered he had come in contact with a sick child a few days previous who had similar symptoms as what Kotetsu had. Perhaps the sickness had hitched a ride on him, then transferred itself to Kotetsu, who was more exposed to illness because of his age.  
"You know, I probably gave this to you."  
Kotetsu rolled his head to the side to see Barnaby. His eyes were bloodshot and his nose red. He looked like he was sweating. His weak glare only added to the pathetic vibe he was giving off.  
With a small laugh, Barnaby sat next to the brunette and hugged him. "Sorry, Kotetsu. But, now that I've touched you, I'm going to go get a shower so I don't catch the illness. You lay back down and try to sleep. I'll be right back."   
At that comment, the blonde stood back up and headed to the bathroom to get cleaned. He was gone for nearly half an hour, and when he returned, Kotetsu had not moved from his sitting position. His eyes were even open still.  
Barnaby had come back in his underwear and a rather tight tank top. His bangs were brushed back and to the side, tucked in behind his ears.  
"You're still sitting up?"  
Kotetsu only stared at him in silence, his expression one of pure exhaustion. His eyes were half closed because he was so tired.   
"You need to rest, Kotetsu." The blonde put on his glasses, which he had been carrying when he walked into the room. When Kotetsu did not move, Barnaby looked to the nearby coffee table and grabbed Kotetsu's thick framed glasses.  
"If you're going to stay awake, please wear your glasses." The blonde unfolded the ear pieces and placed the glasses on his partner with a smile. "Can you see now?"  
The older man smiled for the first time that night, and he reached for a bottle of antibacterial hand gel, squirted some on his hand, then rubbed it in with his other hand. Then he grabbed his partner's hand and pulled it so the blonde was forced to sit down next to Kotetsu. The brunette wrapped his blanket over his mouth and leaned against Barnaby.  
"Are you hungry at all, Kotetsu?"  
The older man shook his head.  
"Well I am. So let me up so I can grab some food. I'll come back, I promise."  
Barnaby stood without Kotetsu's opinion and went to the kitchen once more. Kotetsu replied with a pout and a deep grumble of disapproval.   
Truth be told, Kotetsu often got “sick”. Most of the time it was just because he worried so much over Barnaby or about his family back at home. But there were few times that he actually was sick. Barnaby did not believe Kotetsu’s sickness this time was too big of a deal. He was still skeptical about whether or not he was sick or just acting it.  
“So,” Barnaby began after coming back with a bowl of leftover food. “Can you speak at all? Does your throat hurt any?”  
Kotetsu attempted to clear his throat, which only led to a coughing fit. Afterwards he held his chest and grimaced, then he sighed.  
“Yes… I can speak…” came his hoarse reply. “My throat… is a little sore…”  
The older man really did sound sick, so maybe he was not faking this time. “Have you tried gargling salt water?”  
The brunette shook his head. “It’ll make me throw up…”  
“Oh, I highly doubt that, Kotetsu.”  
“Try it.” Kotetsu’s glare was strong as Barnaby went to get salt water. Not even one minute later, Kotetsu was in the bathroom hunched over the toilet with Barnaby rubbing his back slightly. After he was finished throwing up his guts, he returned his glare at Barnaby.  
“I… told you, you… idiot…”  
“Sorry,” Barnaby apologized with a smile. “Guess I didn’t trust you when you said you would-”  
“Please don’t say it. You’ll make me do it again.” To further prove his point, Kotetsu gagged a bit. His glasses slid down his nose some, to which Barnaby pushed back up. Kotetsu blinked and chuckled quietly.  
Yes, December.   
A time to cherish the time you had with your loved ones, and a time to be thankful they were not snatched from your hands yet.

“I think you’re just homesick.”  
Kotetsu looked up from the newspaper he read, looking over his glasses. “Huh?”  
"You heard me, Old Man. You're homesick again."  
The brunette grumbled at the old nickname, and folded the paper up. "Did you not see me throw up for the past few days? Clearly, I really was sick."  
"You're not throwing up now. And your voice had gotten a lot better."  
Silence filled the room as Kotetsu removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He was still exhausted from being sick, and maybe his actual sickness was gone. Whatever the reason, he was still a bit rough around the edges, and he still required the attention of Barnaby. But, then again, when did he not need Barnaby's attention?  
"We should go home for Christmas this year," Barnaby said after a while.  
"Bunny, we are home."  
"No, you baka. I meant Stern Bild. Honestly, you're so thick-skulled at times."  
"Hmph. I should have never taught you Japanese. You only abuse me with it now."  
Both laughed, and Kotetsu removed himself from the recliner he had been in. He padded over to Barnaby, who was on the couch, and sat next to him, grabbing his hand and intertwining their fingers.  
"It's so close to Christmas now, Bunny. Air travel would be a sucker to go through, and we sure as hell can't drive back to Stern Bild."  
"We need to go back home. We both miss our friends. I know I really want to see how Gabriel is doing."  
Kotetsu laid across Barnaby's lap, his back popping as he did so. "We've been watching him on TV though."  
"We've missed watching episodes since the summer. We don't know anything about what's going on there."  
"Bah." The older man suddenly got up. He confused his partner at the unpredicted action, until he turned his head back to glance at the blonde with a devilish smirk.  
"Kotetsu, why are you looking at me like that?"  
The man only winked and stood in the same position, his face just barely visible behind his shoulder.  
"Kotetsu..." Barnaby smiled. "What are you planning, Wild Tiger?"  
Kotetsu took off towards the bedroom, cackling slightly. Barnaby followed him, although reluctantly at first, and he smiled.  
"You're still sick, Kotetsu."  
"Big deal," the man replied, wrapping his arms around the blonde's neck. They stared into each other’s eyes with lustful smiles.  
"I'll go easy then."  
"The hell you will."

"You know, you really should stretch more often."  
Barnaby lay in the bed with his hands behind his head, Kotetsu curled up against his side. They had stopped somewhat early, much to their disappointment, because of the older man acquiring a cramp in his back. Barnaby had to finish himself off without the help of Kotetsu.  
Kotetsu was still in pain even after they had stopped. His whole body ached from the amount of force that was put on his body, especially since the two had not performed the act in almost a full year.  
"What good... Does stretching do... When we rarely do this anymore?"  
"It keeps you flexible and prepared," Barnaby replied while turning on to his side. "So you can be ready when we actually do this." A small kiss was planted on the back of Kotetsu's neck.  
The older man only grumbled and covered his body with the blankets. This produced a chuckle from Barnaby, who pulled away the covers from Kotetsu's head.  
"You can’t breathe if you cover your head."  
"Quit being my mom."  
"I'm not being your mom."  
"You are too. Quit it."  
Another kiss was given to Kotetsu, and Barnaby sat up and yawned, raising his arms above his head as he did so.  
"Act more like my husband," Kotetsu mumbled into his pillow.  
Barnaby leaned down and put his lips near Kotetsu's ear. " Your mom wouldn't do to you what we just did."  
"Oh my god, dude." Kotetsu shoved his pillow into Barnaby's face with a disgusted expression. The blonde only laughed as he was pushed back in rejection. He was going to be sleeping on the couch for sure that night.

The airport had been crowded beyond imagination. Most flights were coming in to let people celebrate their holiday in the warmth of Rio. Flights going out were not so common, and most carried business folk who needed to be somewhere away from their families on Christmas.  
The long flight that the two former heroes embarked on had only just begun, and already Kotetsu was out like a light. Of course, getting up at the butt crack of dawn often did not provide adequate sleep for the older man. So Barnaby let him sleep, eating breakfast alone, as well as lunch. It was nice to see that he was sleeping well on the somewhat turbulent flight.  
Kotetsu woke up about four hours from Stern Bild, and already he was complaining about being cold. Barnaby had put on a jacket, and, since he sat in the aisle seat, he reached above to grab the brunette's tan cardigan. Kotetsu put it on over his denim button-up and looked out the window. Frost had begun to form, and warm breath fogged up the glass, preventing Kotetsu from looking out at the cold ocean. He shivered, remembering his accident of falling from the city during the hurricane. He had nearly died had it not been for his power acting up.  
Before the incident, Kotetsu had possessed the hundred power, though only having it for a minute instead of the normal five. But his power went haywire that day, and without him knowing, it had saved his life. Slowly, his power diminished until he had no power whatsoever. It was not until Barnaby had cried out for help that Kotetsu gained his new power, which he dubbed the thousand power.  
The closer they got to Stern Bild, the colder it became. Kotetsu had put on a button-up coat and a beanie to stay warm, while Barnaby had buttoned up his jacket and put on a long coat that was undoubtedly a top brand fashion coat. By the time they landed, both men were huddled deep into their layers of clothing, Barnaby wearing a red checked scarf around his neck and gloves on his hands. They grabbed their on-board luggage and trekked away from the plane through deep snow. It was surprising they even landed at the airport with no trouble.  
Inside the terminal was complete chaos. People ran everywhere to get to their flights, determined to escape the cold quickly. As for Kotetsu and Barnaby, they actually embraced the cold, as the had not experienced it in several years. It made the experience that much more fun.  
The rest of the luggage was retrieved from the baggage claim, and the two headed out to the waiting area of the terminal, searching for those who were to pick them up. It took nearly two hours for the awaited escorts to arrive. It was enough time to let Kotetsu nap once again, leaning against his partner while still huddled in his coats. The time of waiting was caused by a delay in flights and anyone arriving in their vehicles due to a snow storm that blew in suddenly. No matter how warm it was in the terminal, most people were still rather cold. The atmosphere of the city had an effect on everyone in the terminal. At least people spoke English at the airport, unlike back in Rio, where most spoke Portuguese, and Barnaby had to take over in talking because he knew the language better than Kotetsu.  
After the delay, people were allowed to leave and enter the terminal as they pleased. Thus, those who the two men waited on were finally able to get in to pick up their passengers. Barnaby caught sight of them first, and he shook Kotetsu awake before they caught sight of them. When the older man was awake finally, the youngest of the escorts finally saw the two, and she started running towards the former heroes.  
Kotetsu recognized her instantly, and he stood, taking off running towards her with arms wide open. She jumped into his arms with a laugh and hugged him tight.  
"Daddy! I'm so happy to see you again! I've missed you so much!"  
Kotetsu laughed and hugged his 20-year-old daughter. "Kaede! I've missed you so much too!"  
Kaede pulled back with a very wide smile. She was almost as tall as Kotetsu. "How's the cold," she inquired with her hands on her hips.  
"Well, it's cold, yes." Both laughed and hugged again.  
Behind Kaede, the rest of the escorts arrived, them being Muramasa and Anju. Both were bundled up and covered in freshly fallen snow.  
"Good to see you again, Kotetsu," Muramasa said with a smile. He hugged his younger brother, then shook Barnaby's hand in greeting.  
Kotetsu then hugged his mother, and continued to hug her for a good while. "I've been worried about you, Mom."  
"And I've been worried about you, Kotetsu. How have you been? Barnaby said you were sick recently."  
"Yeah, it was just a bug that I came into contact with because of a kid Barnaby worked with. Nothing major, along with a bit of homesickness." He rubbed the back of his neck and chuckled, then he readjusted his glasses.  
"How are things between you two," Anju continued.  
Kotetsu smiled and looked back at Barnaby. "We couldn't be better. Life is good." Barnaby smiled lovingly at his partner and squeezed his hand gently.  
"Well I'm glad to hear that. You two really needed each other more than I realized at first. I'm just glad nothing major has happened between the two of you."  
"Why would anything bad happen between us? We're happy, and we've stayed that way for years."  
"Well, sometimes moving to a new place can have negative effects on couples."  
Kotetsu laughed and hugged his husband from the side. "Something as simple as that can't pull us apart. We've been through a lot together."  
The blonde smiled at the comment, knowing it was true. He remembered a lot of the cases the two had worked as heroes, and how close those cases had brought them. Thanks to Kotetsu, Barnaby did not have to worry about Ouroboros anymore, and that in and of itself was enough to keep them together.  
Barnaby kissed Kotetsu's cheek.  
"Well," Anju said with a smile. "Let's get going home. I've got food prepared for both of you."  
Kotetsu smiled and looked at Barnaby. "Mom's cooking for supper! I'm ready for that!"  
Barnaby smirked and tapped the brunette's nose. "Me too, because she has more variety in her cooking." He crouched down slightly.  
"Hey," Kotetsu exclaimed while jumping into Barnaby's back. "I'm not that bad of a cook! I have expanded my cuisine since being in Rio."  
"Yes you have." Barnaby started following the three Kaburagi's, who took up the responsibility of carrying the luggage. "But your mom has a few years on you."  
"Well no duh, Akanbō."

The car ride was quiet and dark, cold and very snowy. Another round of the light powder began to fall while still within the city limits of Stern Bild. Street lights cast orange glows in the car, revealing the two former heroes leaning against each other with smiles, Kaede sitting next to them in the back seat.   
Driving through the city at night, lots of snow on the ground, was a sensation that Kotetsu had missed. Actually, he missed snow in general. The white substance was something magical, whether it was falling from the sky or glistening in the sunlight. It had a calming effect on the older hero. Even Barnaby had come to love the cold snow, though he was more of a summer person. Winter was just not a good season to show off his fashion sense.  
Slowly, they made their way out of the city and into the suburbs where the Kaburagi home was. Muramasa had lived in the house for a time when Kaede was not old enough to take care of her grandmother. But as soon as she had graduated high school, Muramasa had returned to Oriental Town.  
Bags were soon hauled out of the car and into the warm house. The sweet aroma of warm food filled the former heroes' nostrils, and they almost forgot to move their things into their old bedroom. They soon moved to the kitchen and filled plates with lots of food.   
After the meal, Kotetsu went to take a shower while Barnaby stayed in the living room with Kaede, Anju, and Muramasa. Then it was Barnaby's turn to clean up, and Kotetsu retired to the bedroom for the night. The brunette waited patiently for his partner, reading a book he was about halfway through, as reading had become his favorite pastime while Barnaby was away working, or in this case, getting a shower. When the blonde came in, his hair was still damp and he wore only a towel wrapped around his waist.  
"Still reading," Barnaby questioned with a smile.  
Kotetsu responded by placing his bookmark in the book and closing it. "Not that you're here now."  
"You didn't have to stop, you know." The blonde sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed Kotetsu's ankle.  
"Well, you're more interesting than the book."  
"Oh, stop it."  
The brunette smiled and put the book on the night stand. He leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Barnaby, placing a kiss on his neck.  
"You know, I had almost forgotten what snow was like."  
Barnaby quirked an eyebrow. "How could you forget? It's so cold and wet, and it's fun to create things out of it."  
"I know. But I guess five years in Rio dulled my mind a bit."  
"I think it's been those books you read. What man at your age reads romance novels? What man does period?"  
Kotetsu huffed. "I rather enjoy them, Little Bunny."  
The blonde sighed and rolled his eyes, then removed the towel, thankful he had at least underwear on in the somewhat cold room. It probably did not help that the window in the room let in a slight draft. Snow was still falling, along with a little bit of wind blowing around, so the draft was enhanced even more so.  
The brunette moved off the bed and went to the window. He actually felt the need to open it, though it was still snowing and freezing cold. He took in a deep breath of the cold air, and exhaled it through his mouth.  
"I wish we hadn't been away so long."  
"Oh?" Barnaby looked behind him at his partner. "Well, we're here by now, and we will be for at least another week." He stood and padded over to Kotetsu, wrapping his arms around the smaller, older man. "So let's forget how long we've been away, and let's enjoy the moment now. You know your daughter would want you to."  
"She's your daughter too now," Kotetsu said looking up at Barnaby.  
The blonde rolled his eyes and smiled. "That's besides the point." He placed a kiss on the side of his neck.  
Kotetsu pushed away his partner’s face, giggling like a little girl at the kiss. “Stop it. You’re making me blush.”  
“Maybe that was my goal.”  
The two went to bed soon afterwards, sleeping well into the morning. It was still snowing when they woke, and Kotetsu was first to wake to the cold. He shivered once he realized he was awake and snuggled up next to Barnaby to stay warm. Waiting for his partner to wake up was one of the hardest things he had to do. He did not want to wake Barnaby up too early, but he was freezing his butt off. He could not help it anymore.  
The older hero sat up and wrapped his arms around himself. He had to remember that wearing a tank top was not enough to sleep in at night. Kotetsu threw back the covers and shivered again. He had no socks on, and only his underwear for pants. Readjusting to winter in Stern Bild was proving to be difficult. Wondering exactly what time it was, Kotetsu checked his phone that was across the room. At least it got him moving to get warm.   
"Ten already, huh?"   
It wasn't surprising. Kotetsu almost always woke up that late in Rio. But there was a time change to consider. So maybe he had not slept as long as he probably should have.  
A slight stirring came from the lump in the bed that was Barnaby. Kotetsu sighed, glad he had his partner awake. He went back over to the bed and crawled next to his partner, pulling the covers away from the sleepy blonde's face.   
"Ohayō, Bunny-chan."  
Barnaby cracked open an eye and looked up at Kotetsu. "Nnn... Morning..." He lifted his head just high enough to kiss Kotetsu. The brunette kissed back with a smile.  
"Time to get up, Bunny."  
"It's still snowing..."  
"So? You need to get up. We still have to unpack everything."  
Barnaby made a disapproving noise and covered his face again, to which Kotetsu groaned and got off the bed.   
"Don't make me drag you out, Barnaby."  
The blonde heard his actual name spoken, and so he threw back the covers with a sigh. "It's weird when you use my name instead of Bunny."  
Kotetsu smiled. "I only use it to get you to do things. Now come one, get up! Muramasa and my mom are probably already up."  
As if to prove the point, a knock came on the door. When Kotetsu opened it, Anju was standing patiently with a smile.  
"Good morning you two. I was just checking if you were awake yet."  
"Yep we're awake now." Kotetsu smiled at his mother. He looked back at Barnaby getting out of the bed, then back at his mother. "We'll be down in a bit."  
Anju nodded and left the two alone once more. Barnaby had closed his eyes once more and very well could have been asleep. The older hero would have none of it, and he jumped on to the bed, shoving Barnaby some. “Get up!”  
“Mmm… Make me.”  
With the challenge being made, Kotetsu grabbed the blonde’s leg and yanked it to the closest edge of the bed. He may have misjudged his strength as a normal human, as Barnaby was falling to the ground with wide eyes. It must have been a semi-terrifying experience for him since all he saw was most likely blurs of color, and then the rug and the hard wood of the floor.  
“Oops…” Kotetsu stepped forward cautiously.  
Barnaby sat up shaking his head. “Kutabare.”  
“Hey now.” Kotetsu smiled and got on to his knees, shuffling over to Barnaby and hugging him. “No need for that kind of language.”  
The two heroes then kissed for several minutes, until Kaede came this time to the door and cleared her throat. “Are you two ever going to come to the front of the house?”  
Kotetsu’s head popped up from behind the bed and frowned. “Shouldn’t you be at the academy?”  
“Dad… It’s Saturday. And it’s snowing.”


	5. Partners

Chapter 4: Partners

Apollon Media had been the leading employer of heroes since Barnaby became a hero. Having two full time heroes was demanding already, but to have them as partners sent Apollon’s popularity through the roof. Then with the retirement of Tiger and Barnaby, Apollon dove into a period of little attention. True, the company had Northern Light to boost them, but not even the second league hero could keep the high standards that Tiger and Barnaby had brought. It was frustrating for the young man from Alaska.   
Upon the debut of Black Tiger, however, popularity of Apollon Media rose, even if it was a slight amount. The important thing was that the entertainment company bounced back. Surprisingly, the union of Northern Light and Black Tiger as partners raised popularity even higher, the second league hero team being dubbed Black Light. Unfortunately, Apollon Media still needed more publicity. Hardly any recognition was given to the company because it no longer had the rights to any first league heroes. All that was left was Northern Light and Black Tiger. Though they were the first second league hero team, they were the second over all. There was no way that the two heroes would ever live up to the standards that Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks Jr brought.  
Gabriel was sure that he would never have seen his retired friends again had it not been for one very snowy day in Stern Bild. The young man was hardly wearing any warm clothing, only a simple hoodie being added to his normal attire. Of course, living in Alaska for most of his life built up his resistance to the cold, so even though it had been snowing, the only thing that really bothered him was the occasional strong gust that would blow up. His beanie with the Apollon Media logo was snugly fit around his head.  
As unlikely as it had seemed, it was quite a surprise to be recognized from afar. Gabriel's hair was much longer after all, down to his mid back when pulled back into a tail. But his iconic colored bangs were what made him easily recognizable to two certain men in a nearby café.   
Barnaby and Kotetsu were just leaving the warm café when they spotted the tall young hero. A bit doubtful, they finally recognized Gabriel because of his dyed bangs, and both men’s expressions quickly turned to excitement.  
“Oh my god, I don’t believe it,” Kotetsu said first. “That’s Gabriel isn’t it?”  
The dark-haired hero turned to look at the two older heroes. Dark green eyes were instantly wide, along with his smile. It was all he could do to stop himself from running to his friends. He did not bother to hold himself back anyways, and so he ran to the retired heroes, bringing them into a huge hug.  
“Kotetsu! Barnaby! I’m so happy to see you guys!”  
Kotetsu stumbled back a bit, being supported by Barnaby in case he fell. All three were smiling like idiots at the reunion. “We’re happy to see you too,” the Brunette replied. “It’s been several years since we last talked.”  
“No kidding, you old man.” Gabriel laughed at the nickname he gave Kotetsu, and he accepted his well deserved yet playful punch to the shoulder.  
“That the name I use, Gabe,” Barnaby said with a smirk. “You know not to use it.”  
“Well it doesn’t help that you’re old too.”  
“Alright, Mr. Hero.” The blonde ruffled Gabriel’s bangs and shook his head. “You should treat your elders with a little more respect.”  
Gabriel only smiled and hugged his friends once more. “God I missed you guys so much.”  
For the rest of the day the three roamed the city, stopping in on Apollon Media and saying hello to Doctor Saito and Ben again. Despite it being cold with several inches of snow on the ground, a thunderstorm came over the city. They took shelter at the café Kotetsu and Barnaby had been in. The younger of the three ordered a drink to warm himself, the cold having affecting his immunity to the cold.  
“So,” Gabriel said after a while. “How’s things back in Rio?”  
“A lot hotter,” Kotetsu replied with a laugh. “It hardly gets below 90 during the day.”  
“Even during the winter? That’s strange. But I guess I wouldn’t know. I’ve lived in Alaska for the majority of my life.”  
“It certainly is weird seeing snow for the first time in almost five years,” Barnaby commented. He looked out at the snow being destroyed by rain. “Although, there are bound to be plenty of accidents to work with the rain melting the snow. Roads are going to get slick fast.”  
Gabriel nodded. “We’ve had several accidents this year already. And with Christmas coming soon, the accidents are going to pile up quickly, excuse the pun.”  
“Well now how have things been for you, Kid,” Kotetsu asked with a smile. “You’ve been on the top a lot correct?”  
Gabriel’s expression fell to a more disappointed look. “Yeah, of the second league.”  
Barnaby and Kotetsu looked at each other with the same worried expression. The blonde was first to look back at Gabriel. “We didn’t know you were still in the second league.”  
“It’s because of freaking Steel Boy. ‘Steel Boy’ my ass. He’s a coward and afraid of running into any criminals.”  
“Assuming Steel Boy replaced Rock Bison, how bad is he compared to the other heroes? He’s in the second league right?” Barnaby tried not to sound offensive with his questions. To his disappointment, he only made things worse.  
“He’s terrible! He hasn’t scored any points for the past two seasons. And no, he’s in the first league! He bought his way to that position, so now I’m stuck in the second league until someone drops out of the first league. And it sure as hell won’t be him because his parents have high authority in the hero industry.”  
“So… he hasn’t done anything for a while?”  
“No of course not! He’s lazy and won’t show his face in public unless he’s forced to by a lot of persuasion, meaning money. The guy is a wuss.”  
“Hey easy now,” Kotetsu interjected. “He may have just started, but so have you. Sometimes it takes a while to become adapted to using your powers for hero work. He just may not be as ready as most heroes are. He needs guidance, and since you know more than him, why don’t you help him? It would at least help him score some actual points.”  
The dark-haired boy closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “If I wanted to help him, I would have done it by now. Besides, I’m busy taking care of my own partner right now.”  
“Partner?” the two retired heroes said in unison.  
All three jumped at the sound of tires squealing outside the café. They looked out the window in time to see two cars slam into each other. Gabriel’s call bracelet went off a few seconds after they all rushed outside. Cries of pain could be heard from both cars, which were smashed beyond use again. Gabriel called his partner to the scene as he slid over to the small of the two cars. He activated his power and produced a physical shard of light to cut through the glass of the window, or what was left of it.  
Kotarou was soon at the scene, jumping into action by cutting parts away with his sword. He and Northern Light worked to free the people still alive in the smaller car. The other car was hanging off the edge of the road, leading to a long fall if one bad move was made. Kotetsu and Barnaby were working to keep to living people in that car calm while also steadying it to free them.   
Unfortunately for the heroes, as well as retired ones, there was a loud creak as the cars shifted more towards the edge of the road. Without thinking, Kotetsu tore off his jackets and tossed them to the smaller car, which were then used to warm the live people. Kotetsu reached to pull on the car, but it was slipping fast. He struggled to hold on, his breath coming out in small puffs and he groaned and pulled at the car. His boots were slipping fast, and so was his normal strength. He could not activate his power. His body had not been accustomed to using it, and he had heard bad stories of retired heroes trying to use their powers after years of neglect.  
Finally his boots gave way. The cars shifted more over the edge, the larger car now almost halfway off the road. All the first league heroes, except for Steel Boy, were watching the cars from a safe distance. All they saw were the occasional glimpses of Kotetsu and Gabriel, though they didn’t know it was Kotetsu at the time. When Kotetsu slipped, they all gasped at the movement of the cars.  
“Kotetsu!” Barnaby tried to move to Kotetsu, but he quickly retreated when his foot slipped a tiny bit. The fall from that height would be deadly, and Barnaby did not want to lose his best friend like that.  
The brunette was desperately holding onto the car, yet he was determined to rescue the people in the car. Sadly, he never had the chance to do so. Once all the people and dead bodies were out of the smaller car, the weight shifted dramatically. Both cars were sent careening over the edge of the road, as well as Kotetsu. The image was all too familiar to Barnaby. He had seen his partner go over the edge once before nearly six years previous, when they were off to fight a horrible NEXT, Travis.  
Barnaby need not have worried though, as Kotetsu’s thousand power was capable of protecting him even if he did not activate it. Still, it was quite a scare to the blonde, and it was enough to send him diving off the road after shedding his layers quickly. Gabriel and Kotarou watched in silence as they tended to the people from the smaller car.  
Kotetsu made his way to the door of the larger car and slammed his fist into it, the glass shattering as he continued to fall. He quickly grabbed a person with each hand and yanked them out of the car, tossing them to Sky High, who helped them land safely with his wind powers. Barnaby was about to pull his partner away from the cars when he caught a glimpse of a little girl in the path of the falling cars. He didn’t have time to rescue her before Kotetsu pushed himself towards her. He landed right in time, throwing his fist in the air as it came into contact with the cars. He was able to shield the girl from the cars with the force his fist stopped the cars, which created a sort of dome around them.  
Barnaby did not stop himself in time to avoid the cars, so his body slammed into the windshield of the larger car. He cried out as he tumbled and rolled for several feet. The impact had stunned him, but he was still conscious as he caught his breath. He was pretty sure he had cracked a few ribs and his arms were scraped up. He paid no attention to himself though as he stood with much difficulty, not to mention several tries to gain balance. The only thing on his mind was if Kotetsu and the girl were okay.   
That is, until he heard the screams of pain coming from the cars. He half-way ran to the cars while his heart rate increased. The screams came from a younger woman, perhaps a teenager. Barnaby searched the vehicles desperately, the other heroes being occupied with the other people who had been in the cars. Finally, he spotted the teen, her face bloodied and her nose most likely broken. He pulled apart some pieces of the car to reach her.  
“Hey, miss? I’m Barnaby. Are you alright?”  
“Barnaby? Please… I can’t feel my legs…”  
“Can you tell me your name?”  
“Andrea…. please help me!”  
“Relax Andrea. I’ll get you out of here soon. I need you to take deep breaths for me okay?” He looked around more and discovered that parts of the cars were impaled in her legs.  
“I… I can’t! I’m scared Barnaby!”  
“I know, but you’ll be fine. I just need a little time to free you okay?”  
“I don’t want to die!”  
The blonde reached his hand as far as he could and grabbed her hand. He knew her condition was too unstable, and there was no way she could make it out without hurting her more. Out of frustration and sadness, Barnaby activated his power, though he did nothing with it. He simply stayed there, keeping Andrea calm as her condition slowly became more unstable.  
“Barnaby…. I… can’t breathe…”  
A few feet away, a fist exploded through the damaged cars. Then came the torso of Kotetsu, and under his arm was the little girl, unconscious and seemingly not breathing. The blonde was relieved to see his partner okay for the most part, some scratches and bruises, but nothing major. He was more upset about the girl, who Kotetsu was giving CPR to rapidly.  
“Barnaby…” Andrea said weakly.   
Barnaby’s attention was torn away from Kotetsu and he squeezed his hand tighter. “Andrea don’t give up on me. You can do it! Keep your eyes open Andrea!”  
He could not help Andrea anymore. She was ready to let go, and she was struggling bad. With the little time Barnaby had left, he tore away the parts of the car and freed Andrea’s torso from any damage. He then cradled her in silence, holding her head as her breaths became shaky and shallow. The weight of the cars had collapsed her ribcage, and with that her lungs as well.  
When her time was coming to a close, Barnaby cupped her face and smiled with tears in his eyes. “You’ve been a brave girl Andrea...Thank you for holding on this long.”  
“Bar...naby…” Andrea took her final breath, her body shuddering to a stop, leaving Barnaby the deed of closing her eyes afterwards.  
Kotetsu also had to give up on the little girl. She had gone long before Andrea, but Kotetsu did not want to accept the fact that he had let someone’s daughter die in his arms. It was haunting, and it took all the energy out of him as he fell back onto his rear, covering his eyes as he let tears fall freely.  
There was nothing either of the former heroes could have done. As they looked at each other, they realized the hard truth of what happened. They knew a few would not survive, but neither had expected them both to have someone die in their arms. It was not fair to say that either took it over the head the hardest, it was a hard truth for anyone to realize. That was the reason why both former heroes moved and held each other close. Barnaby was the one who cried most. he had tried so hard to keep Andrea alive. kotetsu was the one who was most depressed. Having someone pass while in your arms was hard enough, but this had been a little girl, maybe 7 or 8 years old, that died in Kotetsu’s arms.   
The living people were taken care of and sent to the hospital. Left behind were the police officers in charge of filing the report, and the heroes plus two former. It was a sad time. The mothers of both girls were present for the briefest moment. Most things on the business side had been taken care of. On the recovery side, things were going to take a while to heal. The two retired heroes were barely home for long before they were exposed to a horrible accident. They were glad no major injuries were inflicted upon them. At least the mood was lightened a bit when Sky High approached Kotetsu and Barnaby with a suspicious smile.  
“If my eyes aren’t deceiving me… I believe that’s Mr. Brooks and Mr. Wild.”  
Both retired heroes turned their attention to the blonde hero. “Hello Sky,” Kotetsu said. “Shame that we had to meet again like this.”  
“Well, at least you two are both okay. You took quite a hard hit to the ground, Barnaby.”  
“I know. It does still hurt, but it’s only a few bruised ribs. They’ll heal quickly.”  
Keith nodded and raised his hand to absorb the particles that made up the mask of his suit. His helmet had been ditched several years back with the incident involving Travis, the psychopathic NEXT that could create particles to copy other powers. It had been concluded that he was much like a more advanced NEXT like Kaede.  
Keith was on the top of the scoreboard once more, which was fairly good for the man in his mid thirties. His new suit design seemed to have helped his performance greatly. The particles he had gained from Travis were continually loyal to him alone, creating a nearly indestructible face mask and protective armor that replaced most of the hero’s previous armor. In the end, the particle had made Sky High the fifth hero to show his face, right behind Blue Rose, Dragon Kid, Barnaby, and Wild Tiger.  
“At least you’re both safe. But, to be completely honest, I’m surprised to see you two here! I thought you’d be chilling in Rio still.”  
Barnaby chuckled a little as Northern Light and Black Tiger came to join the conversation. “We felt like we should come home for the holiday. It’s been awhile since we’ve seen everybody.”  
The youngest hero smiled and nodded. “Five years is a long time to be away from everyone you know. My parents have even visited me, while you two decide to disappear off the map without a word.”  
Kotetsu shrugged slightly, still a little depressed over the little girl’s death. He tried to keep his eyes away from the wrecked cars. “We wanted to be left alone for a while.”  
“I understand, but five years? You could have sent emails or something.”  
Again Kotetsu shrugged. “Gomen'nasai. Watashitachi wa nozonde imashita puraibashī.”  
Gabriel and Keith blinked, not knowing any japanese and not understanding anything of what Kotetsu just said. Barnaby caught on to their cluelessness and translated for them.  
“He said sorry for wanting privacy. We’ve been exposed to media for so long that we wanted to get away from it all.”  
“Understandable,” Keith said. “I like a break every once in a while as well, and Mr. Wild has been exposed to the media for much longer than most heroes in the history of Hero TV. It’s good to have a break when you’ve been in the business for as long as he has.”

“This is my partner, Kotarou.”  
Gabriel brought Kotetsu and Barnaby back to Apollon after the accident. Both retired heroes were glad to return to their roots, and Saito and Ben were happy to see them as well.  
“Kotarou was picked up by Agnes after the incident with Maverick was over.” Gabriel explained to the two retired heroes. "She brought him to Ben and Saito, and they fixed him right up. He's programmed a bit differently, but he still has all fighting capabilities, maybe just a little less enhanced. His skills were insane."  
Barnaby and Kotetsu nodded, remembering just how good H-01 had been. Both had nearly died because of him. Things would have been much different if Kotetsu had been killed on that day…

 

Robin Baxter was the first choice of a partner for the escaped criminal. Both were escaped convicts, but both were NEXT as well. Once Robin’s NEXT power was revealed to the other man, it was clear he was to be the other NEXT’s partner in crime. Both had a score to settle with the two famed heroes, Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks Jr. They were the perfect team.  
Robin had been stuck in prison for almost ten years. It had been his grudge that kept him secure, unable to transport to any place outside of his cell. But when Travis had arrived, everything changed for the two, and it changed for the better for them.  
They took action the day Barnaby and Kotetsu returned from Rio. A cold, snowy day made for the perfect setting of a getaway. Nothing could have gone wrong in their plan. With Travis having the power of copying powers, in a strange and unique way, he was able to obtain Robin’s power, and together they hopped out of prison by switching places with each other and then proceeding to hop from person to person, guard to guard until they were outside and running away towards the center of the city.  
Police-led searches were conducted to find the two before they caused any harm at all. Sadly, it was not destined to happen. The day Kotetsu and Barnaby reunited with Gabriel again was the day their plan was set in motion. They had watched from the sides until their victims arrived on the scene. Two cars, one larger, one smaller, both with many passengers.   
Travis and Robin switched places with the drivers, aiming right for each other. They switched back right before the cars collided, and the damage was done in a quick instant. A job well done for them, their debut back as active criminals. In reality, it was not the skill or power that had drawn Travis to Robin. It was the tiny, barely noticeable tattoo on the smaller man’s palm that had connected them. They were already so similar, and they were destined to become the greatest criminals alive. All they needed was to get rid of Lunatic, and then the hero team, Tiger and Barnaby. They were to be saved for last. Before them would be Northern Light, then they would take control of his partner, Black Tiger. The end result would be all heroes representing Apollon Media dead or shut down for good. It was a master plan sure to turn head and draw attention to Ouroboros once more.


End file.
